The Sound Flows
by ThatOnePsycho
Summary: Composer, Conductor, Producer: The three jobs that keep an Underground working. Neo, Ruby, Hei: The three in those jobs for Vale's Underground. It isn't fun juggling that between the other parts of their lives... Well, except for Neo, but she barely does her job as is. In the Realground, Team WBY is trying to figure out what's up with their leader knowing Vale's avant-guard.
1. Chapter 1

"Have I mentioned how much I hate you lately?" Ruby asked, arms thrown back across the apartment's couch.

"Really?" Her boss, Vale's Composer, said lightly, cleaning her brush as she used her stupid amount of power to do something she couldn't in the Realground, "What for this time?"

"I'm not blind, you know." Ruby said, "Something's up in the Realground. It's so big even the Supports can feel the quakes."

"That still doesn't explain why you hate me."

"Because you're involved. I know your signature, Neo. You've popping up in the RG all the time lately."

"Maybe I need paint?" the multicolored woman asked.

"Then you'd send me, since apparently part of my job is to act as your goffer. You're up to something."

"Heh," Neo laughed, "Perceptive of you. What happened to the girl who all but bumbled through the Game on nothing but power?"

"She spent the last two years dealing with your conflicting orders and keeping the Reapers doing their job properly," Ruby said, pulling out a butterfly knife and beginning to do elaborate tricks as her boss worked, "Kin was slacking. I'm still finding things that should have been dealt with years ago."

"It's a good first test dear," Neo poked her head out from around her easel, frowning, "You didn't have that yesterday…"

"Yep," Ruby said, focusing on the crimson knife, "It's new."

"Why? I thought you had that scythe of yours. It's good, swap out your cloak with a black one and you'd be a walking stereotype."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Crescent Rose is my RG weapon. She's too recognizable, if I used it in the UG, or in the RG while in my Reaper outfit and someone recognized it, you, me and Hei would be in for one hell of a headache. So I'm trying this out. Weapons and fighting are my art, remember?"

Technically speaking, and in any other city big enough to _have_ a fully realized Underground, Atlas, Mantle, Mistral, heck, even the nearly formed one at Kuo Kuana, the Conductor wasn't supposed to be 'in' on the existence of the Producer… _but_ a combination of Neo's notoriously flakey handle on her job, Vale going three months without her naming a new Conductor after Neo Erased Kin, and the fact that Ruby was almost certain the men upstairs wanted her to take Neo's place at some point had led to Ruby getting informed of that secret.

"How much longer till the next game starts?" Neo asked suddenly.

"Soon," Ruby stood, "I should go."

"Buy me some paint while you're out!"

"I'm not coming back today!" Ruby called, walking to the elevator, "I've got other stuff I need to get done. I'm supposed to meet up with Yang for school shopping."

"Fine, fine. But I want you to be in the Realground at the shop From Dust till Dawn at nine tomorrow!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. Why there?

Ruby stepped into the elevator, hitting the button that would send her to the lobby, and shifted down with a happy sigh. Reapers, even the strongest in all of Vale, weren't prepared for the strain of the Composer.

Ruby pulled out her scroll, sliding her headphones from the place around her neck and started her music as she read the list of prospective Players with a dull interest. She felt sorry for them, it was the week after a long break, so every Reaper would be out for blood.

The Reapers' Game was a depressing but necessary sin. They grabbed people with potential to create some form of art, from painters, to musicians, to couturiers. In Ruby's case it had been, and she was firmly convinced Hei had pulled some serious strings to pass this one off, her ability to fight. They grabbed these people on the brink of death, from car crashes, White Fang attacks, muggings and the like, and gave them an offer.

Pay the price of what was most precious to you for entry into the Reapers' Game and the chance to return to life. Each day the Game Master, this week it was Kolr, would assign a challenge and generally a time limit. If anyone completed the challenge, the timers that appeared on the palm of the players' hand disappeared and everyone moved on. Fail and the Reapers were allowed to go all out and Erase everyone in the Game, extending their own life.

Succeed all seven days, however, and Neo, through Ruby, decided what happened to the survivors. Those who had coasted by without any real effort were generally Erased anyways, they hadn't gotten the point of the Game. Occasionally they would be allowed a second chance at the game, with the caveat that they _would_ be Erased if they failed again. No round three, no weedling out of it. You won or you were done for. Ones who broke the rules that Neo (or half the time, Hei or Ruby) assigned were of the same fate.

Ruby stepped out of the elevator, calmly walking through people while spinning her knife.

Some were offered the chance to become Reapers. A best of both worlds, of sorts. With the exception of the Conductor, in this case Ruby, you were expected to eliminate Players either through 'Walls' blocking the way to the objective if you were a Support or by hunting them if you were a Harrier. They could freely shift between the UG and RG (though they were frustratingly weak in the RG) at will and fight Noise without a partner. So long as they did their job, they could continue the life they had before.

Some were given what they had been offered, back to life, away from what would have ended it. No questions asked, no strings attached. They would occasionally see into the UG, but that was it.

And Ruby was a key player in making sure it all happened like clockwork. Giving the dying hope and then dashing it. She had paid her hopes and dreams of being a hero for her chance. You were supposed to get your payment back if you won, but sometimes Ruby wondered if she had.

Unfortunately for this batch, Ruby strongly suspected that even with the pile up of three weeks of contenders, they wouldn't make it to Kolr. She couldn't know what the Supports were thinking, there were just too many of them, and even many of the Harriers were unknown. She did know the six who rotated through the Game Master spot, Kolr Bjorn, Hector Ambrosia, Orla Doyle, Griselda Grey, Irving and Rufina Bayard were eager for a bloodbath. Even with Ruby's powers, she knew there would be trouble if she didn't let it slide.

Pushing open the door to Hei's club, Ruby felt herself be forcefully shunted back into the RG. Hei's place was one of several throughout the city where Players could interact with the Realground. Places to get food, first aid or, for some reason that Irving and Rufina had explained to Ruby several times but she was still no closer to understanding, clothing stores.

Ruby preferred staying in the Underground whenever she was in Vale, unless she was with Yang, her Dad or Uncle Qrow. While she was amazing with Crescent Rose, she had many more tricks she could unleash if someone did something stupid in the UG.

Sure, she was allowed to tap into her power in the RG, any high ranking Reaper could do so to some extent, but it wasn't the same. Not unless she was working to avoid an UG collapse.

UG collapse was the unambiguous worst case scenario. Normally, if Neo gave an order, Ruby wasn't technically allowed to outright disobey. She could follow them to the letter, rather than the spirit, but she was ultimately Neo's proxy in the UG. However, if the risk of UG collapse was large enough, Ruby could declare an Emergency Call. Her and all the Reapers were free from Neo's rules during one, and they would do whatever it took to stop it.

A city had to have a UG. It was a reflection based off imagination and dreams. There was only one recorded case of a UG collapse, and it wasn't pretty.

For reasons to this day unknown, because there wasn't really anyone who could do so, the Composer was dead along with most all of the Reapers. One day Vacuo's UG had just, essentially, exploded. Reapers tied to it collapsed and died in the streets. With them, creativity in Vacuo died. Slowly, those with any artistic talent left for greener pastures, for a place with a functioning UG.

Ruby nodded to Hei, who was sitting at the bar talking with a man wearing a white suit with red hair covering one eye. Shutting off her music, Ruby pushed down her headphones, and spoke quickly and quietly, "Are they here?"

"Loft. You know how to get there," Hei said, "And would you please put that knife away? You're scaring the patrons."

Ruby stopped, putting the knife away in her pocket. She was wearing the outfit Rufina and Irving had made her when she became Conductor, and they had repeatedly redone every time it got damaged on some dumb job for Neo or when she outgrew it.

Ruby liked her day to day outfit more and steadfastly refused to let her fashion designer friends make a copy for her. She was willing to accept something for when she was Ruby Rose, Conductor, but not for outside of that role. When she was Ruby Rose, second child of a middle-class family, she shouldn't be walking around in designer clothes that probably cost more than the rest of her wardrobe combined.

She didn't want to think about how much money had been spent on her current clothing. Ruby had been a late bloomer, meaning they had redone the outfit several times as she grew.

The outfit itself was a very good blend of Ruby and Reaper. The general rule of Reapers was that the higher up you went, the more elaborate and easily identifiable your outfit got. It made sense, climbing the ranks generally meant you were more in tune with the music of the UG. Supports and low ranked Harriers tended to wear hoodies, but the mid-rank and higher often had more expensive outfits.

But Ruby wasn't one _for_ elaborate. So while her outfit would give her away as Reaper to anyone who was looking for one, and as the Conductor to any Reaper, it was fairly simplistic. Well, simplistic if you didn't count being made out horrifically and embarrassingly expensive materials.

Around her lower half were a pair of dark jeans that Rufina had taken a pair of scissors to. Apparently at the time pre ripped jeans had been 'in'. Paranoidly, Ruby had taken to wearing a pair of tights under them _just in case_ something ripped.

They had let her keep her blouse and corset, thankfully. In fact, Irving had decided he liked that bit so much that he had managed to bring it in vogue and keep it there for a solid year and a half which, Rufina had informed her seriously, was incredibly good. Yang, who while far from a fashionista did keep an ear to the ground on these things, had been impressed to see Ruby 'predict' the trend.

Ruby might have been more impressed if she wasn't completely aware of how he had managed it. Being in the UG made it easy to manipulate thought. Not to the point of mind control (as far as Ruby knew) but little nudges in the direction you want it to go. Even Players used this trick in a limited fashion during the Game. She would be willing to bet that Irving had used at least one day over the course of his weeks where the only thing he did was have the players working to keep it popular.

Over that was a hooded coat that, and Ruby was _certain_ they were using Psychs for it, somehow never got in her way despite it reaching her legs. Crimson red with the sprawling black tribal designs Reapers' favored. When she pulled on the hood and zipped it up, it was a passable impression of her cloak and hid any remaining sign of her identity.

Ruby toed open the door to the loft. Technically it was hers, but she had little use for it outside of a place everyone could meet. Her friends were in various states of relaxation in the room.

Kolr was probably the one Ruby could actually get away with hanging out in the Realground. The bear faunus was around the same age as Yang and they were of similar social standings. They _had_ hung out a couple of times, though not often to avoid drawing anymore attention than needed.

Korl's outfit was even less elaborate than Ruby, though that made sense given what he did. His black hoodie was splattered with stains of spray paint, he had a red bandana pulled down around his neck, just a slightly messier version of the standard Harrier look, and was sitting there cutting out a stencil for his next job with his black hair short again.

Hector was, as his all too fitting name suggested, cooking in the kitchen in a blur of knives, pans and the occasional hearty swearing as he grabbed one of those pans and dumped it into the trash, his green hair matted with sweat. It was rare that they went nearly a month without gathering like this, and he was apparently making up for lost time giving his test dumi- er… friends new recipes to try.

Irving and Rufina were rushing around Orla, their suit coats off as they took a variety of measurements from the guitarist. Irving's brown hair was pulled back into a braid today, while Rufina's golden hair was starting to fall into her face.

Griselda was sitting on the couch opposite Korl leaving her back to the door, and Ruby, as she typed away, working on the next novel in her series. Ruby snuck over, looking down at the words being written, "Zelda, what did I say about writing filth in my apartment?"

It was funny to see her jump slightly, Griselda slamming the terminal holding the filth shut as she turned to look at Ruby, "Ruby! You're here!"

"About time," Kolr said, putting his stencil away, "I was starting to think you did something stupid and the Composer erased you!"

"Nope, meeting ran a bit long," Ruby said, hopping over the couch back and landing next to Orla's guitar.

"Hec," Orla called as the Bayards let her return to her seat, "Is that poison almost ready yet?"

"Fuck you too!" Hector laughed.

"Isn't that why you feed it to us first?" Irving said as he sat down with his wife, "Because we can survive it?"

"Composer as my witness," Hector said, brandishing a heavy pan, "I will throw this at you!"

Ruby joined in the laughter, pulling out her knife and resuming her tricks as she waited for Hector to finish the food and hand out plates.

The group fell into easy conversation. Kolr wanted to hide out at the loft because the White Fang was out recruiting and it had seemed to take a headlong tilt into crazyville a couple of weeks back, Orla had used the two weeks to go relax on the beach, which wasn't easy to tell, given her dark complexion.

"What do you know?" Irving said, as he pushed away the plate, "Hec actually decided to _not_ poison us for once. I knew he could do it!"

Hector didn't dignify that with a response, focusing on Ruby, "So, who's in charge of the game this week?"

The air turned to tense excitement as they all turned to her. A completely understandable feeling, no matter what any of them did for a living in the RG, they were Reapers first and foremost. Each of them played their role like clockwork, and that role was to be the horrid hunter stalking the Players.

"...Kolr," Ruby said.

"DAMMIT!" Kolr punched the table, "I spend the last two weeks planning out new tricks and now I'm stuck here?"

"Better you than me," Irving laughed jumping up and pulling Rufina with him, "Orla, give us a song!"

"At least pay the girl first," Griselda cracked open her terminal, opening a new file full of plans.

"How many do we have this week," Hector was grinning wildly, handing a bit of lien to Orla so she'd amuse Irving.

"Hundred and seventy," Kolr continued, "It was gonna be great, I was gonna finally catch up with Rufina!"

"Only in your dreams!" Rufina called from where she was dancing with her husband to the waltz Orla was playing.

Despite the morbidity of the topic, Ruby couldn't help but give a small smile. This is what they were like. The Reapers' game was a competition, both between the Players and the Reapers and between the Reapers themselves.

It was good to see her friends like this. Sometimes dealing with Neo's seeming inability to actually do her job made Ruby wonder why _she_ kept the job. Then there were moments like-

-Hei flying through the wall and into the back of the couch. His normally impeccable suit a mess.

"Holy shit," Hector vaulted over the couch, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," The Producer winced, "Takes more than that to knock me out. Your sister's here," Hei directed the comment at Ruby.

Yang was here? And, Ruby checked, currently trashing the club. That wouldn't stand.

"I'll be right back," Ruby said, pulling her hood on and flipping her butterfly knives into hand.

"Rub-" the Conductor fell, cutting off Hei's call and going to face her sister. This was going to be really awkward.

\- X **Hei** X-

Hei "Junior" Xiong wasn't like most people. He wasn't even like most of the 'not like most people' people who came into his club.

For one thing, he was (legally) his own father. For another, he was actually over four hundred years old. For a third, he was an Angel.

Ok, so technically he had fallen somewhere around the Great War, but that didn't change that he was still an Angel and answered to the rest of his kin. Which is why he was Vale's Producer. The last line of defense if both Neo and Ruby failed at their jobs.

Sitting at his own bar, Hei looked back at the cough from behind him. The person leaned against his bar, a man in a white coat.

"Roman Torchwick," Hei said with a friendly smile, "What are you doing here?"

The robber nodded toward him, "You're Hei?"

Hei's lips tugged downwards. Only Ruby and Neo called him Hei. They saw each other on a near daily basis, even if it was just Ruby trudging in for a mug of the hot chocolate from the Conductor's apartment. Just because the Game wasn't going on didn't mean problems stopped forming in the Underground.

"Call me Junior," Hei said, "Everyone does."

"Call me Roman then," Torchwick said with a smile that probably was supposed to be friendly but only served to put Hei on guard, "A mutual friend of ours pointed me your way. Short, carries an umbrella, adorably sadistic."

Dammit. Neo.

Hei breathed in slowly through his nose in an attempt to hide his ire. _This_ was what the bosses meant when they expressed concerns about Neo's fitness to compose. Sending a diagnosed sociopath his way, what was she thinking?

Before he responded, Ruby walked in, dodging around patrons as she flipped one of the larger than average butterfly knives he had helped her get. Pushing down her headphones, the Conductor spoke quietly, "Are they here?"

"Loft. You know how to get there," Hei said, "And would you please put that knife away? You're scaring the patrons."

Ruby did, flipping the knife closed and walking towards the back.

"Cute kid," Roman said, "Little sister?"

"Something of the sort," Hei hedged around answering, "So Neo sent you. Why?"

"Well," Roman grinned, "I'm getting ready for a job, and need men. Neo said you could get me them. Was she wrong?"

"No," Hei said, "I can do that. How many men and when?"

"Let's go with… ten by tomorrow."

Great.

"They'll be here," Hei said, "but you need to pay in advance."

"And I will. Tomorrow," Roman turned, "See you then!"

Hei sighed as he left, turning to the faunus tending the bar. A Harrier during the Game, "I need a drink, Rob."

The Reaper handed over a glass of whiskey, leaning down, "Sir. A young woman just walked in."

Hei looked back, eye widening as he saw a girl he had never met, but certainly knew of. Long blond hair, purple eyes, a black flaming heart on her yellow top.

"Listen to me," Hei whispered, "Act natural. If you get a call from the loft, do not use names."

"What? Why?"

"Because that is the Conductor's sister."

Robert froze for a second, before calmly walking over to Yang, "What can I get you?"

"Strawberry Sunrise. No ice and, uh, one of those little umbrellas."

Hei stood up, walking over, "Aren't you a bit young to be drinking, Blondie?"

"Aren't you a bit old to be called Junior?" she responded.

She didn't know the half of it.

"So, looks like you have me at a disadvantage. Got a name, sweetheart?"

"Several. But instead of sweetheart," Junior squeaked as she crushed his groin, "Call me sir," Yang pulled out her scroll turning on a picture, "They say you know everything. Tell me where I can find this woman and I'll let you go."

Hei looked down at the image, a woman with black hair and red eyes, "I've never seen her before, _sir_."

Ruby owed him for this.

Yang let go of him, and Hei turned away and walked away. He would let Ruby deal with th-

"Hey, hey that must have been embarrassing for you. Getting manhandled by a girl in front of your men!"

Compared to dealing with Neo or Ruby? Not really.

"I'm giving you one warning," Hei said, "Get out of my club and don't come back."

"Aww," Yang smiled, "Come on, Junior. I was just playing with you. Let's kiss and make up."

Hei stopped, looking at the girl and weighing his options. She was pretty, but if Ruby found out… yeah, not worth it.

"No," Hei said, pushing past her.

"What? Why not?" Yang asked.

"Because you assaulted me in my own club? I could press charges for that, you know."

"C'mon. Why would you do that?"

"I haven't done anything wrong since you walked in here," Hei let a bit of his power leak out, "I'm well within my rights to make sure you're of age when you order an alcoholic drink," he was sooo checking her age with Ruby after, "as am I to ask you to identify yourself. In fact, _I_ could get in legal trouble for not doing the first one. Then you attack me and start making demands. Get out of my club or I _will_ call the police."

Hei saw Yang clench her fist as the club had all but stopped, watching them. Then she hit him… hard.

Hei smashed through the wall, rolling to a stop against one of the couches in the loft. Ruby was paying to get that fixed… which meant Neo was paying to get that fixed.

"Holy Shit!" Hei groaned as Hector helped him sit up, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Hei winced as his chest ached, "Takes more than that to knock me out. Your sister's here," He focused on the Ruby colored blob.

"I'll be right back," Ruby said, moving her hands up, pulling on her hood and grabbing her knives.

"Rub-" before Hei could finish, Ruby stepped off the edge of the hole, falling down, "Dammit!"

"It's fine," Irving said, joining Hector in lifting Hei up and helping him to the couch, "Ruby can deal with this."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Hei winced.

\- X **Yang** X-

Yang deployed Ember Celica as the twins confronted her. At the same time mentally berating herself.

How stupid could she get? Junior threatens to call the police for assault and she hits him? Wouldn't be the first time she had been brought up on assault charges and somehow she didn't think she would be able to get out of this one with just a court mandated therapy course.

"Melanie, who is-"

They were cut off by a dull thump, turning to the hole Junior had made. Standing there was a person wearing a red and black coat and holding a pair of large butterfly knives. Anything else was hidden by the coat. They pointed a finger at the twins, hiking a thumb up towards the hole he had just fallen through.

The twins shared a look before speaking, "Conductor…"

'Conductor' just repeated the gesture. Once the twins were gone, Conductor started to walk slowly back and forth.

"So," Yang said, "Conductor, eh? Please tell me that's not your real name. I don't think parents can hate their kids _that_ much."

Conductor didn't say anything, did a trick with one knife.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Yang smirked, "You're just a show off. Nothing to back it up."

"Ha!" Yang blinked as a Faunus popped his head down, the hood of his hoodie hanging down. He looked… familiar. From where, though? "The boss can kick your a-ahk!"

Another hand reached down, yanking him back through the hole. Looking to Conductor, Yang saw their left hand had disappeared into the inky void of their hood.

Were they _facepalming_?

"So what was that abo-?" Before Yang finished the question, Conductor threw one of the knives at her. Yang's arm swung up, knocking it out of the air, "Ha! Is that the best y-"

Yang blinked as Conductor suddenly appeared in front of her, silently swinging two knives at her. Swinging for Conductor, Yang gaped as her opponent's head seemed to shift just enough for Yang's fist to sail past it harmlessly.

Yang's Aura flashed as Conductor's knives scrapped against it. Yang kicked off, firing twice to push herself further back.

Even as the shots should have hurt them, Conductor didn't respond. Lifting their knives, Conductor moved, appearing in front of Yang the moment the brawler landed and slashing at her side.

Yang dodged, only for Conductor to appear behind her and attempt to stab her. Turning, Yang swung for Conductor's head. Her fist passed through a familiar flurry of red flower petals and black smoke as the Conductor's body seemed to turn to the stuff and accelerate to the side.

No way…

Lunging forward Yang grabbed Conductor by the shoulder and grabbed her hood, forcing it back.

And found herself staring into the eyes of her little sister, "Rubes?"

Ruby froze, eyes wide, "Uh…"

"What are you doing here?" Yang frowned, "What are you _wearing_?

Why was Ruby hanging around a criminal base? What was up there?

"I," Ruby tugged at the coat, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Yang crossed her arms in front of her chest, " _Ruby_..."

"Me and my friends hang out here a lot, ok?" Ruby snapped suddenly.

"Aileen hangs out here?" Anxiety ridden Aileen?

"No," Ruby said, "My other friends… the ones you've never met. Come on, I'll introduce you."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby marched towards the loft with a sigh, feeling Yang's eyes burrowing into the back of her head. This was going _great_.

"So," Yang's voice had a forced calm in it, "You come to Junior's often?"

"Every few days," Ruby admitted reluctantly, "Hei let's me use a place above the club."

The loft (though Neo had idly noted is wasn't _actually_ a loft since it had separate rooms, but apparently Kin's predecessor had dubbed it such and the name stuck) was specifically the Conductor's. It had been Kin's before Ruby took the job. Other than a meeting place for her friends, Ruby mainly used it as a place to store her ever growing collection of weapons and keep an eye on the Game.

Despite what many Reapers thought, the Conductor was a lot more hands on than they looked at first glance. Forming unbreakable walls, generating Noise, keeping an ear to Vale's music… it was not an easy job, and it was even harder to do it from Patch.

Yang grunted, "Hei? Are you two… _close_?"

"We're friends," Ruby said simply.

"What about these other 'friends'? What are they like?"

"You're gonna meet them in a second," Ruby stopped in front of the door, breathing in and preparing for the impending mess. Finally deciding there was no point in putting it off further, she pushed open the door, "Come on."

-X **Yang** X-

The first thing Yang noticed was the wall of weapons in the back. Swords, spears, axes, guns, knives, and maces were held up, with even more on the table in front of it. The only uniform part of them is that they were all red and black.

Ruby walked forwards, jumping the couch and walking over to Junior, who was flanked by a woman wearing a denim jacket and next to a woman with a scroll, "How's things going, Hei?"

No. Seriously, what the _crap_ was going on here? Ruby was wearing clothes that would look better suited on a movie villain, apparently regularly hung out at a club owned by a criminal who she was… what? Friends? Or was there something more?

That thought alone sent Yang's stomach rolling. If that was true, all regret for hitting Junior left.

"I'm fine," Junior said, "it takes a lot more than that to take me down, kiddo."

"Good. I don't want to deal with the headaches that would bring," Ruby turned, "Yang! Come on in."

Yang walked in, looking around. The two girls she had been about to fight before Ruby stepped in were leaning against an island, talking with the hoodie wearing faunus.

As she looked around, Yang's frown got worse. _This_ was what Junior let Ruby use? It looked like it costed an arm and a leg, though was fairly _Ruby_ in nature. Red and black all over, with bookshelves and weapons.

But there was a certain divorce from Yang's sister too. Something about it seemed too… expensive. Running a hand along the couch, Yang frowned. Leather.

"So," Yang jumped as a man and woman rounded the corner leading to a hall. The man was wearing a gaudy purple suit and the woman a red one, "Finally decided to introduce us to your sister?"

"About time," the woman said, "Kolr!"

Throwing one of the bottles in her hand at the faunus, he casually grabbed it out of the air, "Thanks."

"What are you two doing?" Ruby asked.

"Celebrating!" The woman laughed, sweeping past Ruby to grab Yang's hand, "It's a big day, after all! Hello, Yang. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Uh… Hi?" Yang asked in confusion, "Sorry. Who are you?"

"Rufina Bayard," she said, "And this is my husband Irving."

"Hello," Irving said, pulling out a keychain bottle opener and popping open Rufina's bottle. The woman immediately turned away, sitting down and drinking deeply from her bottle, "It's nice to finally meet someone from Ruby's family."

"You've," Yang looked around, noticing the man wearing an orange flannel shirt stepping out of the washroom, drying his hands, "Known Rubes for a while?"

"Two and a half years," the man said, approaching, "Give or take a couple of months. Nice to meet you, I'm Hector Ambrosia and-" something must have caught his eye, because he suddenly grabbed the bottle of alcohol Rufina had been drinking, "You bitch!"

"Hey!" Irving barked.

"This is my cooking wine!" Hector said, "I paid a fucking arm and a leg for this!"

"Hec," the denim wearing woman said softly, "Not now."

"...Fine," Hector threw the bottle into Rufina's hands, sitting down a sulking.

"I'm Orla Doyle," the woman said, "And this is Griselda Grey."

Griselda didn't break her focus on the scroll.

"Yang," Ruby said, "I know you're confused. Just, please don't freak out. Try to get to know them. _please_."

\- X AN X-

I want your guy's honest opinion on this. The only feedback I've gotten implies it isn't very good… but SB and SV's RWBY boards think everything I write isn't very good. Apparently, Blake saying Yang hadn't ever deliberately kneecapped someone means she can't of hit someone without thinking.


	2. Chapter 2: Flashback

*Coughs*. Sorry to anyone who was disappointed to see a repeat of chapter 1 before, fixed it. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

-X Line Break X-

Ruby gasped as she sat up, looking around as the crowd of people ignored her. Climbing to her feet, Ruby shuddered as she passed right through one of those people.

What was going o-?

Ruby's Scroll beeped, drawing her attention to the message on it.

Reach the Mountain Glenn Memorial Park. You have sixty minutes. Fail, and face Erasure. -The Reapers

Ruby stared at the letters, trying to keep calm. So this was real. It wasn't a bad dream, she was really dead...

"OW!" Ruby clutched her hand. Looking down, she saw a series of red numbers engraved on her palm.

60:00

59:59

59:58

Ruby stared at the numbers.

"You know," Ruby jumped in place, turning to the man seated on a bench. He was wearing a black waistcoat over a white button up, "Sitting around staring at the timer is a good way to get yourself killed."

"Uh…" Ruby couldn't think of an answer.

"Whatever," the man stood, "You need a partner?"

A partner? Ruby didn't want a part-

"You can't fight Noise without one," the man said, as if he knew her thoughts, "Come on. Let's form a pact."

"You're another player?" Ruby asked.

"After a fashion. Now, are we going to do this, or are you gonna let yourself be erased, Phones?"

"Ok," Ruby took the man's hand, ignoring the jab at the headphones around her neck. The world seemed to shudder and quake, before calming down.

"Good," The man said, "Now, you got a name? Or am I gonna be calling you 'Phones' the entire week?"

"Oh," Ruby said, "I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"Adorable," the man said, "I'm Hei Xiong, but call me Junior. Everyone else does. Now, you got any pins on you, Kiddo?"

"Pins?" Ruby stopped as she reached into the pocket of her sleeveless hoodie. Pulling her hand out, Ruby stared at the small collections of pins.

There were four in total, three with a stylized weapon and one with a soda can. Ruby turned over the one with a scythe on it. Qrow…

"You ok, Kiddo?" Junior said, tapping her on the shoulder.

"I'm fine!" Ruby said, waving her hands rapidly, "just, Just thinking."

"Well, save that until we get to the park. Come o-" Junior sighed, pulling out a bat, "Great. See you on the other side."

"Wha-" Ruby blinked as Junior vanished, a pair of frogs that went up to her knee appearing in front of her. The thing that drew her attention was the animals' hind legs. They looked like they were made of tattoos. No skin, just swirls of red.

Ruby yelped as one suddenly landed on her, planted those leg on her chest and pushed off, sending her rolling back.

Owwww.

Ruby dodged the next attack, looking around. What was she supposed to do? She didn't have a weapon.

The badges in her hand heated up, vibrating slightly. Like they could help, like they could be used…

Well, what other choice did she have?

Ruby dodged another jump, putting on the pins as she did. Once they were in place, Ruby let instinct take control.

Pointing her fingers at one frog, Ruby mimed a gunshot. An orb of red and black light tore across the space in between them, knocking the frog onto its back.

A large sword of the same light appeared in her hand as she moved. Stab, slash.

The frog exploded into static as Ruby bisected it. Landing, she activated the last pin.

The light shifted, forming into a giant scythe like Qrow's. When Ruby swung it once experimentally, a beam of red-black flew from the blade.

Ooohh! She liked this one.

The frog didn't have time to react as Ruby swung the scythe into the air, another beam consuming it whole.

The world jolted again, and suddenly Junior was beside her, leaning on his bat. His eyes seemed to roam over her, "I knew it."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it. Here, take this."

Ruby caught the pure white pin, turning it over, "What's this one do?"

"It's a very special pin. Try it when we meet another set of Noise."

Ruby followed Junior, jogging to stay even with the colossus of a man, "You seem to know a lot about the Game."

"I do," Junior agreed.

"Why?"

"I watch it, normally. I can see into the UG even though I'm not dead. We need to talk to that Reaper."

"Rea-" Ruby's eyes landed on the man leaning against a wall, playing with his scroll. Growing from his back were a pair of black wings that were probably useless for flying. Just a set of lines that ended in spear points.

As they reached him he looked up, "Anything you two need?"

"Bring down the wall," Junior said.

"...Well, you have a pact. Not sure why considering everything. Things that boring on the up-"

"Yes. Bring down the wall."

The world warped and jolted again, leaving Ruby staring at the wall of glass between them and the park as it collapsed.

"C'mon, Kiddo."

Ruby dutifully padded behind Junior, "What was that?"

"What?"

"He seemed to respect you."

"Us," Junior said, "He thought we were Reapers."

"Why would they think that? We don't have wings."

"Don't worry," Junior said, "Noise incoming. Let's try out that pin."

Then he was gone. Replaced with three snarling wolves with blue tattoo legs. Glancing down at the pin, Ruby frowned. Still white.

Holding out her hand, Ruby summoned the scythe. Diving over the first wolf, Ruby swung it down, obliterating it.

The white pin pulsed with light, an image appearing on it. Two sets of wings, one fluffy and grey, the other a Reaper's wings in black and red.

As Ruby focused on it, several things flashed through her head. The most pleasant music she had ever heard, a town on the verge of becoming a city, a tavern.

Ready?

Of course!

The black and red light swirled around Ruby as she was lifted into the air. It formed into a set of bullets that ricochet around the area. When one impacted the wolves it exploded, thrashing the wolves around until they disappeared in a storm of static.

Junior popped back into existence, nodding, "Come on. Park."

No other Noise attacked them as they reached the park. As they did, Ruby looked down at her hand. The timer was gone.

"Do you," Ruby shrunk as Junior turned to her. Now that their (after)life wasn't in danger, Ruby was uncomfortably aware of how tall he was. He made her dad look short, "Do you mind if I listen to some music?"

"Go ahead," Junior shrugged, pulling out his scroll.

Ruby slipped on the noise canceling headphones, turning the volume up to max and beginning to listen to This Will Be the Day with her eyes closed.

Wat r u doing?

What do you mean?

u r with a lil reaper. Strg. Wat r u doing? Who is she?

Your new Conductor. I have a good feeling about her, but I'm putting her through the paces to make sure she's actually a good fit.

I DON'T NEED ONE

Yes you do.

NO I DON'T

Stop with the caps lock, Neo. You've forced my hand by putting it off so long.

I. DON'T. NEED. ONE.

Either I pick one or the council picks it.

Then I'll erase them!

And the Council will erase you. You don't have a choice.

Look, I know you don't like it. But it has to happen.

\- X Ruby X-

The first thing Ruby noticed when she opened her eyes was that they weren't at the park anymore. That alone was enough to worry her, since she couldn't have had them closed for-

Ruby realized that the song blaring in her ears was not the one it had been moments before. How long had she been out?

The girl jumped as a hand tapped her on the shoulder, spinning, she saw Junior miming taking off headphones.

Doing that, Ruby focused on the man, "Wuh-?"

"You look worried, Phones," Junior said, leaning on the back of the bench she had been sitting on moments before.

"I- We weren't here a second ago."

"They knock you out in between rounds. Makes things go quicker for you."

Ruby looked around, trying to figure out where they were. Warehouses stretching from either side with giant ships and-

Ruby froze as she caught someone staring right at her. Despite the occasional person that crossed between them, blocking from them from each other sight, Ruby was certain they were watching her.

She had pink, brown and white hair and several necklaces around her neck. Brown pants with tucked into white boots and a white and pink jacket.

Her gloved hands were clutching the base of a closed umbrella tightly.

"You alright, Kiddo?" Junior asked.

What had been the point in asking for her name if he never used it?

"That girl over there," Ruby said, turning to her partner, "is she watching us?"

"What girl?" Junior asked.

"That on-" Ruby stopped, the girl had disappeared, "Huh?"

Any thoughts on the matter disappeared as Ruby's scroll beeped.

Eliminate twenty Noise. You have one hundred and twenty minutes. Fail, and face Erasure.

Ruby flinched as her hand burned again, the timer appearing on her hand in red.

"They aren't asking for much, are they?" Junior said, reading from Scroll.

"Is it normally harder?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Junior stood, "But there's been a shake up in the ranks. The Conductor is dead."

"The who?" Ruby tilted her head.

"The Conductor. The most powerful Reaper in an UG. It's their job to pass the final verdict on who wins the Reapers' Game," Junior must have noticed the look of horror on her face, "There'll be one by the end of the week, don't worry."

Ruby didn't answer. What happened if there wasn't?

"How are we supposed to find Noise?" Ruby asked.

"They should have given you a Player Pin. Black, got a fancy skull on it."

Ruby reached into her pockets, eventually finding the pin in question… alongside a pin with a mace on it, "Wha-?"

"Sometimes Noise form into new Psyches. You'll get used to it. Put that on but keep the Player Pin in your hand."

Ruby did, turning the skull pin in her hand, "Now-?"

"Close your eyes and stretch your senses. The UG is more than what you can see. It's sound, tastes and smells too, they're all more real here than in the RG."

"Why?"

"Because the UG isn't just the afterlife's waiting room. It's another frequency, dedicated to the creativity that brings a city to life. The music and rhythm that beats through it. Open up-"

Ruby closed her eyes, listening to Junior's voice as she did.

"-the honking of cars, the water crashing against the ships in harbor, people walking down the street. That's why every UG is different, the ways these things merge together will never be the same in two different places. Can you sense it?" Ruby nodded, "Good, imagine you're a member of a band, pluck out one instrument, focus on it."

Ruby nodded again, listening to the jumble of voices echoing through her head.

I hear there's a good seafood place around here. That blog mentioned it.

I need to get more paint for that school project.

I wonder what Adam's thinking about?

Then darker blobs of sound.

Doesn't even spare me a glance…

I knew I shouldn't have tried that dating site.

"What-?"

"Noise. They're formed when negative emotions fuse with the UG. Reach for them, as many as possible, they'll come. Let's take them out."

Ruby did, grabbing one, two, three, four, five groups of Noise.

"Save the sync to the end," Junior said, "It'll be strongest than."

Ruby's eyes drifted open, summoning the sword to hand as she stared down the set of five frogs.

The first lunged at her, only to be cut through immediately. The light shifted to a mace, smashing back two more. The next two were obliterated by a scythe swing.

The next set of Noise was three frogs and two wolves. Ruby swung her scythe twice, taking out a frog on each swing only for it to disappear halfway through the third swing.

Looking down, Ruby's face paled as she saw the scythe pin had become tarnished. Had she broken it?

Firing at one wolf, Ruby summoned the sword, slashing through the other one. Once they, and the last frog, died, the next set formed.

Staring at the four frogs, Ruby felt herself connect to something. Looking down, she smiled at the repaired pin.

This dance continued, until Ruby was staring a bear with its front legs replaced with the tattoos of Noise.

Looking down, Ruby saw another image on the pin, a scythe and Junior's club crossed over the wings.

Let's do this!

Right!

The tavern slowly changed. Children walked in, and then walked in with their children, who walked in with their children. The town became a city, everything becoming more modern… none more than the castle overlooking it all.

Ruby formed the mace, tearing at the bear and smashing it back, a shadow appeared behind the bear and hit it toward her.

Ruby didn't stop to think why she was strong enough to play tennis with the Noise, just continued to wail on it until it died.

The world shifted again, and her and Junior were standing there. Looking at her hand, Ruby laughed slightly, "They really weren't asking for much, were they?"

Just like that, the timer was gone.

I don't like her.

You don't say.

She's a little kid.

She's the same age you were when you got the position. It's happening.

Fine. But only if she makes it to the end of the week.

Stating the obvious?

Fuck you.

\- X Ruby X -

"This is getting boring," Ruby said on day five, fiddling with a new pin. An axe.

Junior looked up from reading his Scroll, "You haven't been awake for five minutes yet."

"I mean," Ruby gestured around, "All this. I didn't think we'd be spending the week beating Noise."

Ruby liked fighting, but it was getting really dull. Wake up, kill Noise, fall asleep. Repeat.

"You're-" Ruby's scroll beeped, "What's it today?"

Make black hoodies in. You have two hundred and forty minutes.

"In?" Ruby asked, ignoring the second half and the spike of pain, "What's 'in' mean?"

"In fashion. They want us to make those hoodies fashionable."

Ruby's mind screeched to a halt at those words, and she was suddenly desperately wishing they were supposed to be killing more Noise.

Fashion!? Ruby didn't know anything about fashion.

Grabbing her headphones, Ruby slid them on. She wasn't fashionable. That was Yang's job. Most things social were Yang's job.

What did fashion mean when you were- were…

Ruby shook her head like a wet dog, continuing to blare her music to cut out the world. Were…?

The nearly familiar hand of Junior pressed onto her shoulder, drawing her attention. Ruby took off her headphones, "What?"

"It's not going to be as hard as you think, Phones. The UG has plenty of ways to manipulate people."

"I have a name," Ruby protested.

"Stop trying to block out the world," Junior said, "And maybe I'll stop calling you Phones. Come on, there's a place nearby that can help us with this."

Ruby settled into the jog she had to maintain to stay even with Junior, listening to Vale's music as she went.

Rally tonight. Not sure if I'll go. I don't like the Fang's new message.

Vacation ends soon, still don't have that project done.

Damn. I still don't get how this guy can put up these giant walls of art without getting caught.

"What do you mean, manipulating people?"

"Have you looked at your Scroll since the game started? Really looked?"

Ruby pulled out her Scro- Wait.

Ruby didn't have a Scroll. Her dad and Qrow had told her she had to wait until she had been at Signal for a few years.

Ruby turned Scroll in her hands, checking it over, "What the-?"

"You're welcome," Junior said, "Playing the game without a Scroll is much harder. Turn it on."

Ruby pressed the golden gem in the center of the grips, letting the grips automatically pop out to a set length. Closing the music player, Ruby looked at the apps.

The entire lower half of the home screen was covered in a set of lock symbols, and when Ruby hit one, it vibrated slightly, "What are these?"

"They're not important now," Junior said, "You see the one with a thought bubble?"

"Uhh…" Ruby looked, "Yeah!"

"Open it."

The app was simple, just a camera view and a drop down list with a single option. Black hoodies.

"What's this?"

"Memes," Junior said, "Hit the button and you'll make someone think about the option you chose. It won't do anything if they don't have any reason to care, but if they're trying to think of a new outfit, it should stick."

"That still seems slow," Ruby said.

"Which is why we're not using it for this one. Killing Noise while wearing an outfit makes people in the area more willing to use it. We'll be good… we're here."

Ruby followed Junior into the building. As the door jangled, the blond haired woman sitting at a desk looked up, "Boring week?"

What?

"We're playing the game. What do you think?"

"So you're here for those hoodies?" She asked, "Kolr's boring."

"Yes."

"Come on," she stood, "Irving! We have a pair of guests."

The next half an hour was a blur of measurements and clothes talk, the duo looking excited as they did so.

"Three months!" the woman, Rufina complained as they walked the two partners wearing hoodies to the door, "Three months of nothing!"

"Boring," Irving trilled, "Anyways, we'll see you whenever!"

Then the door was slammed in their face. Junior didn't seem perturbed turning away, "What did you think of them, Phones?"

"Uh…" Ruby trailed off, fiddling with her headphones, "That's… I don't know."

"Could you tell they were Reapers?"

"Kinda?" Ruby offered, "But why were they sitting around?"

"Game's on life support, without the Conductor. Same reason we haven't seen many walls. Come on."

So, what are you going to do if she decides not to be Conductor?

She won't.

How do you know?

She won't.

Ruby stepped into the Mountains Glenn park again, feet carrying her to stay even with Junior as they walked towards the boy sitting on the stage. The Game Master.

He was wearing a paint stained black hoodie, playing on his scroll as they approached. The animal ears on his head twitched, and he looked up from his scroll.

"That's it?" He hopped down, "Man. I was so excited. Easy jobs, no Harriers and a skeleton crew of Supports, I was sure I would get a fun time. Not just a giant and a kid."

"You're not that much older than me," Ruby said.

"You," The boy stopped, examining Junior without answering Ruby, "You're… Whatever, I don't need to deal with this."

Ruby took a step back as the music pulsed, before standing tall, "Junior?"

"Yeah, Kiddo?"

"See you on the other side?"

"Yeah," Junior grinned, "See you on the other side, Ruby."

"Come on, you two!" the UG pulsed around the Game Master, warping as his voice was coated in a layer of Noise, "Let's paint a picture!"

Junior disappeared with the next pulse, leaving Ruby staring down a building sized bear Noise where the Game Master had been.

Ruby fired every bullet in her pin, forming a pair of claws as she dodged away from the first swipe… and being struck by a wave of paint that followed it.

Skidding back, Ruby dodged around the next attack, landing on the arm and charging up it. The tattoo marked arms splattered rainbow colored blood as Ruby dragged her claws up them, switching to the axe as the pin reset.

As the other arm smacked her away, Ruby threw the axe forward, lodging it into the Noise's right eye. Landing, and dodging his next smashed blow, Ruby created the mace.

On the next swing, Ruby swung to meet it. The heavy energy met his curled hand with a crack and a pulse of agony up her arm.

Ruby yelled in pain as the hand gripped around her, crushing her tight. Screwing up her eyes, Ruby summoned the sword next to her head and launched it towards his open eye.

Falling to the ground, Ruby rolled over. Two on her pins fell off, cracked. The sword and the gun.

"You think making me blind will stop me?!" the Noise bellowed, swinging down on where Ruby was as she dove out of the way, "Have you learned nothing over the week?"

Ruby landed, summoning her scythe and launching as many strikes as she could before the Noise stood to his full height. The world warped again, and Ruby was staring at five arrows.

Dodging around each, Ruby felt sweat pour down her face. The moment the fifth sailed past her, both hands closed around her, lifting her into the air and resuming the attempts to crush her.

Forcing herself to focus on the white pin, Ruby hoped Junior was ready to use it.

Do you hear that?

The funeral procession moved past the bar that had once been a tavern. The last line of a family that had visited Hei's bar since it had been founded, one hundred and eighty years before.

Grey eyes drifted up, staring at the castle overlooking everything. A tiny bit of power leaked out, coaxing the tower into life.

The beacon lights ignited, shining for a moment followed by the clattering of…

Bells!

Ruby burst from the hands in an explosion of energy, watching the pointless pins fall to the earth as she rose into the air on Reaper wings. The bell on the Harmonizer pin just barely visible as Ruby grinned at the Game Master.

Hundreds of bullets pelted at him as Ruby launched forward, claws forming and tearing into him. Landing for a second, Ruby summoned her axe and sword.

Taking off, Ruby lodged them both into him. Spinning as she flew higher, Ruby threw the mace at his head and gripped the scythe that formed. Launching herself down, Ruby looped her scythe around the neck of the Game Master and pulled.

The world shifted, leaving Ruby leaning on her scythe as Hei walked past the unconscious Game Master, "So…"

"So," Hei smiled, "I think you know what I'm about to ask you."

Ruby's eyes drifted to were the Composer was leaning on her umbrella outside the park, "Did one of you…?"

"No," Hei said, "It happens occasionally. People who aren't dead but can interact with the UG. Neo was the same. It's not hard to bump up their frequency."

"I," Ruby swayed, "Can I sleep on it?"

"Sure," Hei said, "I'll make sure you get home in the meantime. Nobody will notice you were gone."

"Oh," Ruby smiled, "Go-"

She passed out.

"Clearly. Reapers aren't supposed to sync with an Angel. Even a shitty one like me."

Still a bit anticlimactic.

"Well," Hei leaned down, picking up the Conductor, "I should get her home. See you when I get back."

Ruby's eyes snapped back to the present as a hand landed on her. Turning to one of Hei's men, who pointed to her headphones, Ruby pushed then down.

So this is why Neo wanted her here?

"Yes?" Ruby asked.

"I said," the henchman didn't seem to realize the nest he was kicking, "Put your hands up!"

"You're," Ruby kept from snickering, "Robbing me?"

"Yes."

"Ohh…" Ruby coiled her muscles.


	3. Chapter 3

"So."

"I know," Ruby said, examining the vast collection of weapons in front of her. Picking up a revolver with a massive bayonet hanging from below the barrel, the Conductor checked to make sure it was empty (it was) before giving it a few experimental swings. Nope.

"Beacon," Hei said.

"Yeah. You ever been?"

"Once," the angel said, "Must have been… ninety years ago. Was still a castle back then. Why are you doing that? You can just create a weapon."

"And blow my cover further?" Ruby threw a longsword into the duffle bag of spare weaponry she would be bringing to Beacon. Picking up a hunting pistol, Ruby added it to the pile before zipping it up.

"Go-" they both sighed as Ruby's scroll went off, "What's that?"

"Yang's waiting outside," Ruby said, "And totals from yesterday are in."

"How bad?" Junior asked.

"Thirty," Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, "I expected more."

"Still got six days," Hei said, standing up, "Call me when you get settled, alright, Ruby? I'll try getting Neo to tell me what's going on in the meantime."

"I will," Ruby smiled at Hei.

"Oh, catch" Hei threw something at Ruby.

"A Harmonizer?" Ruby turned the white pin over.

"Yeah. They do teams at Beacon. Who knows, maybe you'll find someone you can use that with."

"They could find out about the UG, Neo and you," Ruby said.

"We'll deal with that problem if it comes up," Hei shrugged, "do everyone a favor, Ruby, don't go full Phones."

Ruby tugged at the headphones around her neck sheepishly, "I like music."

"So do I, doesn't mean I use it to block everything out. This'll be good for ya. You need to interact outside of the Reapers."

"I don't," Ruby gripped her arms tight, "I don't get people like that, Hei. I get weapons, I get fighting."

"Then fight," Hei said, "It's a school for fighting, isn't it? There'll be someone who gets it like you do. There's that Mistralan girl coming to Beacon, Pyrrha Nikos."

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"The Invincible Girl? She's a big name tournament fighter. Won the Mistral tournament the last four years."

"Sorry. I haven't been paying attention to that stuff," Ruby's Scroll beeped again, "I need to go."

Ruby left the club, which was currently closed for repair, blinking as she realized that Yang was in their dad's beat up truck, "Where's the Bumblebee?"

"Dad's gonna drop it off at the lockup later," Yang took Ruby's dufflebag of weaponry and threw it into the back, "There's not enough space on her for all our stuff "

Ruby sat next to Yang, letting the awkward silence stretch as Yang pulled away from the club. Kolr, who was in the middle of spraying something on one of the walls, stopped to wave at them as they passed.

"Yang," Ruby said as the silence grew to heavy, "I know you're confused, and that I haven't explained much, but… I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For keeping everyone from you," Ruby continued, "I was scared of how you would react and you and dad would try to stop me from being friends with them, and be angr-"

"I'm not angry, Rubes," Yang sighed, "but I do wish you would have told me before, you know, I found you in a nightclub. You brought over Kolr a couple of times, right? Why not the rest?"

"Because it wouldn't seem strange, me and Kolr knowing each other. The rest though…"

"Listen," Yang said, "I'm not angry. I'm worried, yeah, I don't know these people and you've been hanging out with them for years, but I'm not angry. I'm kinda proud, actually."

"Huh?" Ruby's brain stopped.

"I worry about you, Rubes," Yang said, reaching out to ruffle Ruby's hair, "You've never had many friends. Even if I don't trust some of them a millionth of how far I can throw them, I'm glad you're coming out of your shell. Maybe you'll keep that up at Beacon, eh?"

"Hei said the same thing," Ruby unruffled her hair.

"Yeah," Yang's face suddenly pulled into a scowl, "I'm not happy about him."

"Hei's not that bad a guy," Ruby defended. Meddling at times? Yeah, but so was Neo… and Ruby on occasion.

"He's a criminal, Ruby."

"He's," Ruby drifted off. Hei was a criminal, "He's a bit like a bear. He likes to act all mean and scary, but his heart is in the right place."

Even if that only went as far as keeping Vale's UG from collapsing.

"I still don't trust him," Yang said, "but… I trust you, Rubes. If you think he's an ok guy, I'll give him one chance. Same as the rest."

"He said the same about you."

"What did I do wrong?" Yang yelped.

"He's not happy he has to stop making money to repair the place," and Ruby had caught him, crassly, complaining about a numbness around a certain area below his legs to Neo.

"Ok, so I overreacted," Yang said, "I _am_ trying to get better about it."

"I know," Ruby smiled at her big sister as they parked, "Come on. We have a whole new world to explore."

\- X **Pyrrha** X-

Pyrrha smiled politely, signing another autograph as she slowly made her way to the airship leading to Beacon. This had happened repeatedly since she arrived.

Walking away, Pyrrha got maybe half a dozen steps before another ear piercing squeal cut the air and a young girl rushed in front of her.

"OMD," Did she _actually_ say that? Who did that? "You're Pyrrha Nikos! I saw you fight in the Mistral cup last month! Can I get a picture?"

"I-"

"Mel! Come over here, I nee-"

"Pyrrha!" Pyrrha jumped as an arm was thrown around her back, dragging her away from the girl, "It's been such a long time!"

"I-" Pyrrha saw the stranger's subtle nod towards the airship. Oh, she was…

Looking over the girl, who was a couple years younger than Pyrrha, the champion immediately noticed the cloak, headphones, and hair tips in red and came up with a name on the spot, "Scarlet! It's been such a long time!"

"I know!" 'Scarlet' smiled broadly, ignoring the offended cry of the girl she had snagged Pyrrha from, "What are you doing in Vale?"

"I decided I'd like a change of scenery," and had desperately, foolishly, hoped that she could leave the Invincible Girl behind, "so I decided to come to Vale."

"Really? That's great to hear!" they passed through the door to the airship. The moment they were far enough away from the door, next to a blond girl sitting next to a red duffel bag, Scarlet let go of Pyrrha, "Wooo."

"Never seen you act like that, Rubes," the blond said.

"I'm," Rubes hesitated, "ok at acting. Hi! I'm Ruby, this is my sister, Yang."

They were siblings? Other than a general sameness of face structure, they looked nothing alike.

"Hello," Pyrrha smiled at the other girl, "I'm Pyrrha Nikos. Thank you for that, I was worried I would miss the ship."

"You're welcome!" Ruby said as she smiled, "That was really rude of them, just stopping you like that."

"You grabbed her out of nowhere," Yang said.

Ruby froze, eyes widening as it seemed to dawn on her how rude what _she_ did could be viewed as, "I… uh… I…"

"It's alright," Pyrrha said gently, "That was very kind of you."

"Uh... " Ruby looked down, playing with her headphones.

"Should be taking off soon," Yang said, "Then it's ten minute flight to Beacon."

"Yeah," Ruby said quietly, dropping to the floor and pulling out a red and black Scroll and began to play some game on it.

"Shouldn't you be going?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nah," Yang grinned, looping an arm around her sister's neck with a wide grin, ignoring the startled yelp from Ruby, "Ruby here's special. She got moved up a couple of grades after a fight with a criminal."

"I'm not special," Ruby mumbled, switching her Scroll to a texting app as it chimed.

"Yeah, you are," Yang insisted.

"I'm only good at one thing," Ruby said.

"What's that?" Pyrrha asked, lowering herself so she was next to Ruby. Unable to resist, Pyrrha craned her neck just enough to see the message.

 _We're making them._

 _No._

The bluntness of Ruby's response caused Pyrrha to blink. Huh.

"Fighting," Ruby didn't raise her voice.

"Which is why you're here!" Yang said, "C'mon, Ruby! You'll be great. Look at this, we haven't even reached Beacon yet and you've already made a friend. Right, Pyr?"

Pyrrha looked at the two of them. She… she hadn't had a friend in a long time. Her old ones had grown distant as her fame grew, and the people who had taken their place just wanted to ride her coattails, "If you want, Ruby."

"I- Yeah. Yeah," Ruby didn't seem to notice she had repeated herself, "I'm going to listen to some music now, ok?"

"Go ahead," Yang said, letting Ruby pull the headphones over her ears before turning to Pyrrha, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Ruby's always been rough at getting to know people. She's always been on the shy side, so making a friend this quickly is a big deal."

Pyrrha looked at Ruby, who was playing another game on her phone, "Then I might not be the right person. People tend to gravitate to me."

"Ruby's good at sticking to the shadows if she needs to," Yang said, "It might take a bit for her to come out of her shell, but it will happen. I'm sure."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby stepped out of the airship, immediately acclimatizing to how the UG was affected by the school.

Beacon was an area rarely, if ever, touched by the Reapers' Game. Wasn't much _to_ do there, Ruby had thought.

She was mostly right. There was the occasional pocket of Noise, well within acceptable range for a school where emotions were likely to run high, but otherwise it was doing fine.

"Ruby?" Ruby focused on reality, where Pyrrha was checking her over, "Are you alright? You seemed distracted…"

"Yeah," Ruby smiled, "just thinking."

Ruby toyed with the idea of skimming the thoughts of those around her like she had at the dock, before throwing it to the side for the mom-

A yelp left Ruby's mouth as someone knocked her aside, leaving her pinwheeling her arms to stay up until Pyrrha and Yang caught her before she fell into another student's luggage.

"That was rude of him," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah," Yang agreed, "but look at vomit boy now."

'Vomit Boy' was, as the name said, currently coating the inside of a trash can with the contents of his stomach. Feeling a spike of pity, Ruby used a weak healing psych on him as they passed.

"Do you know where we're supposed to be going?" Ruby asked her friends.

"No," Yang shrugged, "Give me a- hey! You! Any idea where we're supposed to go?"

'You' was a black haired girl with a hand under one arm, starting at a scroll. Unable to resist herself, Ruby lightly scraped the surface of the girl's mind, feeling like she'd done this before. Considering how often she did wide area scans, she wouldn't have been surprised if she _had_.

 _Should I-? What?_

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked.

"Any idea where we're supposed to be going to?"

"The auditorium," she said.

"Good to hear!" Yang said with a grin, "Ya know where that is?"

"Yes, it sh-"

"Cool! We'll stick with you, then. I'm Yang, those are Ruby and Pyrrha-"

"Yang-" Ruby hissed, "We shouldn't-"

"It'll be _fine_ ," Yang said, "Right-?"

"Blake," the black haired girl said, "I guess."

"I'm Jaune!" Vomit Boy pushed his way into the conversation with a smile that would have looked more natural if he wasn't still heaving from his date with the trash can, "Jaune Arc. Short, swe-"

"Yeah," Yang cut him off, "Whatever Vomit Boy."

"H-Hey!" Jaune stopped, "What's that about?"

"It takes a _lot_ more than a cheesy pick up line to-"

"Like she's one to talk," Ruby said under her breath, edging away from her sister with Pyrrha, "She's the queen of cheesy pickup lines."

Blake snorted, "That wasn't even a pickup line."

Ruby tilted her head, "It isn't? Sorry, I'm not one for… well, dating."

At least, she didn't think she was. Yang was always confident with romantic advances, but they were a good way to send Ruby fleeing deep into 'Phones' mode.

"No, it isn't," Pyrrha agreed with Blake, "We should probably head to the assembly."

"What about-?" Ruby gestured to the verbal sparring match between her sister and Jaune.

"They'll catch up," Blake said, turning and walking away.

Ruby glanced between the two groups, gripping tightly to her Scroll. She knew the answer Yang and Hei would have wanted her to take.

Slowly, reluctantly, Ruby followed Blake and Pyrrha, clinging to Yang's mind for as far as possible.

 _Maybe those other guys aren't so bad. Ruby's opening up._

\- X **Hei** X-

Hei stepped into the elevator, hitting the button to send him to the highest floor. The floor that, to anyone but the three most powerful beings in Vale's UG, didn't exist.

Shifting his frequency up, Hei let his muted technicolor wings sprout from his back and stretch, before letting them fade as the doors opened.

"Neo," Hei said, stepping out into the penthouse suite Neo called her home, "We need to talk."

The true form of Vale's Composer, a shifting, vaguely humanoid silhouette of white light and noise that most people wouldn't have been able to make heads or tails of, turned towards Hei. She pulsed once in shock, before settling into a more human form.

"Hei," Neo said, "I wasn't expecting you."

Hei didn't respond immediately, walking over to the bar and grabbing a set of ingredients for a cocktail, adding ice to the glass, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Neo asked, walking to the bar.

"Neither me or Ruby are blind, Neo. You're up to something," Hei poured rum and pineapple juice into the glass with practice ease, grabbing a bottle of grenadine and adding it slowly to one side of the glass before pushing it towards Neo, "and you're not being particular subtle about it. Sending Torchwick my way, then sending Ruby to the store he was robbing. Was her going to Beacon part of the plan too?"

Neo took the Mistral sunset, playing with the glass, "No, but it's an interesting development, so I'm letting it pass."

Hei raised an eyebrow as he poured whiskey into a mixing glass, "Development?"

"Mhh," Neo nodded, sipping her drink, "I didn't see it coming."

"That tends to be what a development means," Hei snarked, measuring a small amount of sugar and adding it to the glass. Grabbing a bottle of bitters, he continued, "What was your plan then?"

"Didn't really have one," Neo shrugged, "I just thought it would be interesting to see how far they pushed her. I'm disappointed, I expected her to at least use a psych or two."

"You threw a bunch of thugs at a Conductor and expected anything other than a thrashing?" Hei took a sip from his own drink, "I'm sending you the bill for their hospital stay, by the way."

"Oh the humanity," Neo deadpanned, "It's not like I'm wanting for money."

"Right, next question. What would you have done if Torchwick hadn't gotten away?"

"Wouldn't have been the first jailbreak," Neo said, "It's pitifully easy to get in when you can just shift frequencies."

"Right," Hei said, making a note to have Ruby add a sigil to the jail so that wasn't possible, "Last question. Why are you doing all this?"

"I'm bored."

Hei did his best to keep his anger off his face, "You're _bored_? That's why you're doing this?"

"Yes."

Hei downed his drink, pouring whiskey into the glass and bypassing the other ingredients completely, "Neo…"

Neo shrunk at Hei's tone of voice, looking like the little girl he had found on the streets so long ago, "I-"

"Are you trying to get yourself erased?" Hei growled, "The Council is already pissed at you, push them too hard and they _will_ replace you with Ruby."

Neo flinched, like she hadn't considered that, "I'll figure out something."

Hei sighed, "Listen, Neo. I don't want things to end badly, neither does Ruby. But if we have to choose between you and Vale…"

"You'd pick Vale every time," Neo said softly, "I know. This is just a bit of fun, if things get too bad, I'll come back here. Lie low for a few years and wait for this to all blow over."

"And Torchwick? You know there's almost no chance he'd make it to Reaper status."

"I don't know, if math and fighting can be art, why not theft?"

Because it completely missed the point of the Reapers Game?

"I-" Hei stopped as his Scroll suddenly went off. There was only one other person that could contact him here. Opening it, Hei put it on speaker phone, "Ruby! What-"

"Hei," Ruby sounded serious, "How quickly can you get to Beacon?"

"Why?"

"Something came up. I need your help to deal with it."

"What?"

"I… Ruby paused, "I don't feel comfortable talking about it over the phone. Just hurry."

Hei shared a look with Neo as Ruby hung up, "Sounds bad."

"Go check," Neo said, "Ruby's self sufficient, if she's calling you day one…"

"It's bad. I'm off."

-X **Ruby** X-

Ruby sat up, checking around to see if there was anyone awake. Yang sprawled out across the floor with her top riding up a bit high (Ruby adjusted it), Jaune in a similar state except with footsie pajamas, Pyrrha asleep in her sleeping back and Blake cocooned in hers a bit farther away, since Yang wouldn't let her split from the group. A quick scan showed the incoherent babble of sleep across all their minds, and Ruby stood up the rest of the way, shifting into the UG and walking towards the exit.

Making sure to shut the door behind her, Ruby began to explore the halls of her new home.

Walking into a group of Noise, Ruby felt her shadow disappear as a pair of Mosh Grizzlies. Holding out a hand, Ruby let the black-red sword form, activating her Semblance to launch herself towards them in a nearly intangible mass of smoke and petals, cutting through them with a single move.

Letting the sword fade, Ruby pulled out her scroll, activating the app that would scan for large collections of Noise at long range.

A slow ping came from the scroll as Ruby followed the radar, confirming there was a Noise infestation somewhere in Beacon.

Moving her arm, Ruby frowned at the result. Down? What could possibly be down from here?

She needed to find a elevator.

…

That took over an hour of wandering to find, finally coming to a stop before the main CCT tower. Stepping into the elevator, Ruby stared at the buttons. Nothing for going further down.

Sighing, Ruby paced within the confines of the elevator, gathering and dispersing the red an-

Oh. Duh.

Activating her Semblance, Ruby transformed into the billowing cloud of smoke and petals, reforming on the other side and letting herself plummet. Inches above the ground, she activated it again to stop her fall and allow her access to the room beyond the elevator doors.

In between her and the other end of the hall was a _giant_ purple beetle Noise, its pincers replaced with a pair of green tribal designs. It didn't turn towards her, focused on something beneath it.

Ruby didn't blink as hundreds of red and black orbs formed behind her, shifting to weaponry as a scythe formed in her hand. A single mental order sent the force of the Conductor's might raining into the Noise.

The beetle actually managed to turn before the assault grew too much, exploding into static. Ruby released a bored sigh as she let the scythe break apart. This was one bad part of her job, most Noise she fought just weren't up to the challenge of facing the Conductor. Why she normally restricted herself to conventional weaponry, just to stave off the monotonous boredom of cutting them down without any dangerm

Walking forward, Ruby crouched next to the unmoving, maimed body the beetle had been focused on. Turning them over, Ruby sucked in air as she stared at the gaping hole in their side. No blood, just a rough edge around her side.

"You alright?" Ruby asked.

The woman moaned, taking Ruby's offered hand and letting the Conductor help her over to the wall.

She needed it, seeing as she was missing a her left leg up to her waist, among other parts.

"Hey," Ruby said, applying everything she could to the woman, "Are you alright?"

"I'm," the woman moaned again, "You can see me?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Amber," the woman said, "Who are you? How can you see me?"

"I'm Ruby and it's complicated. How long have you been like this?"

"I don't remember," Amber said.

So she almost assuredly had little time left.

"Give me a second, I need to call someone," Ruby stood, reaching for her Scroll.

-X **Hei** X-

Hei carefully carried the injured woman into Ruby's loft, seating her on one couch, " Amber, was it?'

"Yes," Amber nodded, wincing, "Hei, right?"

"Call me Junior," Hei said, the practiced request coming easy, "What were you doing in that vault? Do you remember?"

"No, I just woke up there one day, with nobody able to see me."

"Sit still a sec," Hei grabbed the first aid kit from the closest, pulling out a bandage roll and slowly wrapping it around Amber's empty eye socket. He had seen worse, but he didn't want her to feel self conscious if Kolr popped up from wherever he was spray painting.

"Oh," she reached up, prodding it gently, "Thank you."

"No problem," Hei said, walking to the couch opposite of her, "Listen, there's no easy way to say this. You should be dead."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah," Hei sighed, "Like I said, no easy way to say it. You're in the Underground, imagine it as this midpoint between the Realground, the land of the living, and the afterlife. Most people who are here are because they died."

"So I'm dead?" Amber's good hand, the one that wasn't mutilated, closed as she looked away from him.

Damnit. This wasn't _his_ job. This was something a Harrier should be doing, but…

"No," Hei said, "That's where the headache starts. Your body was in the room with you, probably didn't notice it, with that giant Noise on you, but it was in that machine in the back."

"I was alive?" Amber asked.

"Yeah. And considering the life report crap on it, someone wants to keep you that way."

"So," Amber's voice lightened, "I can go back to my body?"

"No," Hei said, "Things are… they're complicated, Amber. You're alive, but you're detached from your body. It's, I don't know, it's like someone was trying to absorb your Soul. Until we find who it was and get the portions they took back, there's no chance of fixing the damage."

For all Hei knew, they wouldn't be able to do it _with_ the rest. Hei was just as blind as Ruby on this one, he'd never seen anything like it.

Which meant Hei would have to talk to his 'siblings'. Damnit.

"Then what do we do?"

"I," Hei scratched his chin, "I don't know. We can't put you in the Game, you're technically not dead and you'd be useless to your partner with so much of your body missing, but the Noise will keep hunting you if we keep you like this. You're also starting to get weaker, which is…"

"Game?" Amber asked.

"Reaper's Game. You pay something for the chance to win your life back, now be-"

"You can do that? Who are you people?"

"I'm a club owner," Hei said simply, "but Ruby? She's a Reaper, they keep the UG running like clockwork. I need to thin- got it!"

"Got what?"

"So, going the way you are, you don't have much longer, even like this. What we can do is turn you into a Noise, bind you to a pin and have someone like Ruby carry you around. A powerful Reaper wouldn't even begin to notice the drain needed to keep you alive long enough for us to get to the bottom of this."

"A Noise? You can do that?"

"Soul is Soul, it doesn't matter where it came from or what form it takes. Reapers can turn themselves into a Noise and back easily. It'd be temporary, if that's what you're worried about."

"I- I don't get what's going on-"

"Yeah, that's a common reaction. Listen, it's all we can do to keep you alive at the moment. Yes or no?"

"I-"

"Yes or no?"

"...Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby sat against the wall, a new pin dancing between her fingers as she watched the Game continue in boredom. A tiny bear Noise clung to her shoulder, giving nearly unnoticeable roars. Looks like Rufina and Irving just dropped a group of players into a pack of Garage Wolves.

...Did it say something bad about Ruby that she could watch her friends do stuff like that so casually?

 _Ruby?_

What's up?" Ruby asked the bear on her shoulder.

 _How did a girl like you get involved with this_?

Ruby hesitated, before shrugging in boredom, "They asked me to sign on, I did."

 _That's it?_

"Yeah," Ruby said, lapsing into silence, unsure what else to say. There _had_ been more. A feeling of being more when in the UG that had never quite disappeared.

 _Ok_.

Ruby shrugged, standing up, "I'm gonna get something to eat…

\- X **Hei** X-

Hei locked the door to his office, breathing in through his clenched lips. He hadn't done this in a while.

Stepping into the center of the room, the Producer stilled his breathing. His heart thumped once, and he jumped up a level in spite of the enchantments on the club. Underground.

Another heartbeat, another level. Conductor.

Again. Composer.

Hei stopped, looking down at his hand, watching it jump and pulse in a hidden rhythm. He cracked a small smile, before closing his hand. Another heartbeat, and the room faded, replaced with an alternating white and blue tile floor that stretched on into infinity.

Hei's heart stilled, silent music wrapping around him for the first time in a long, long time. His wings, muted rainbows formed behind his back and stretched, before wrapping around him in a comforting movement. And then his heart hammered in his chest again, sending a pulse as he ascended again, golden buildings rolling into existence on the tile floor. Angel.

Hei walked forward, dimly aware that, had he been on the 'normal' wavelength, he'd be walking right into a wall. Instead, he stepped through a glowing arch, entering into a cavernous room with every color imaginable to humanity (and several that weren't. The gant and violant throne was particularly interesting) incorporated in some way, somehow defying being garnish despite the rainbow that made up the room.

" **Hei** ," a voice rumbled, a pillar of the deepest red smashing into the ground in front of him from one of the seats. A spear of the same color burst from the pillar, pressing against his throat, " **What brings you scampering back to us, Fallen**?"

"I see you're as dramatic as ever, Lumière," Hei said, voice dripping with sarcasm. A small punch dagger forming between his fingers. He wasn't as adept at weapon Psychs as Ruby or Lumière were. Kinesis were mostly where he got his mileage on the very, very rare occasions where he had to go all out in the UG or higher. Otherwise, he would just clobber them with his batzooka. Hell, most of the time, he clobbered Noise with the club too.

The pillar of light faded, revealing a man wearing a deep red suit, ritualistic scarring along his rough skin. Windswept hair, an unnatural bloody crimson, and a smug grin on his face, the spear pressing closer it his neck.

Then it vanished, Lumière throwing an arm around Hei's neck and trying to drag him into a noogie. Hei casually shrugged the smaller angel off, ignoring the shark grin directed at him.

"Of course I'm still theatric, cub!" Lumiére said, "I'm an actor! We can't all coast by on increasingly flimsy logic for why a person warrants a position like you Vale boys and girls do. Back when I started out, I had to Reap _and_ act at the same time! First it's drink mixing, now it's… what? Fighting?"

"Well maybe if you Mistralans where better at syncing with the UG, you'd be able to," Hei responded to his fellow producer's barb, "What are you doing here?"

"Had to drop off some paperwork with the big boys," Lumière said, before stopping his pacing to give a sad look at the throne, "We lost a good girl to you the other day, ya know that? So did Atlas."

"Wh-?" Hei's question died. Oh, yeah, Nikos was from Mistral. That made the barb make even _less_ sense, "Wasn't my idea. She moved-"

"On her own, I know, I know," the shark Faunus said, his red wings spreading so he could take off and land next to the conspicuous throne. Running his hand along it, the grin that always sat on his face fading for a long somber moment, "This was almost me, you know that?"

"The Great War," Hei said, not needing any further urging. Every Angel knew the nightmare that had been Lumière Requin's battle with the Great War. Reapers and Angels as a whole had much more negative feelings about the War than those living in the RG.

What was 'just' a war for their right to expression in the RG had been a vicious battle the likes of which Heaven had never seen before, in any world. Noise rolled into existence in unprecedented amounts, clawing at the edges of reality and trying to break through. The Games were indefinitely suspended, while every Reaper fought tooth and nail to subjugate the Noise. The highest ranking Reapers had resorted to Cantus forms while Composers unleashed the full might they had, backed by the Producers and Conductors every step of the way.

The Producer, Conductor and Composer of Mantle had decided to go to ground, and the art movements had done the same. Hidden museums of art, holding only what small part the curators had managed to salvage. Societies of poets and musicians, plying their trade as quietly as possible.

The Producer and Composer had been erased when it was all over and done with. They should have done _more_.

And when Mantle came to Mistral expecting the same, Lumière had planted his feet, gritted his teeth and made it clear to his Composer that they would _not_ be taking the Mantle approach. Even if he personally had to do much of the heavy lifting.

"The Great FUCKING War!" Lumière snarled, fist striking the throne as his wings blazed out, looking like fire, "It took everything we had to keep the UG going because of Mantle dropping the ball, I came half a day away from Falling! But Mantle's UG still around and Vacuo is a deadzone!"

"This is about Neo, isn't it," Hei said, voice tight.

"Of course it's about her," Lumière said, appearing in front of Hei suddenly, "She's flakey, cub. You had to fuckin' FALL to keep her from screwing things up, man. The others want her Erased, soon, and have her Conductor move up the chain."

"And they just told you that?" Hei asked, not trying to hide his surprise.

"I have friends in the right places," Lumière said, sitting on a red throne, "and they're getting sick of this, cub, they're waiting for a reckoning they feel you've postponed for way too long. They're talkin' about going over your head and recruiting your Conductor to do the deed herself. And I really, _really_ hope you don't need to be told what they'll do if she refuses to do it."

"You don't," Hei said. All three of them were gonna be on the chopping block.

"Good," Lumière said, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette with a blue filter. Lighting it, the older Angel breathed out a cloud of ice dust, "then pull her outta that death spiral, cub. Now, what are you doing here? I doubt it's paperwork."

"Worse," Hei said, "My Conductor found a girl who looked like someone had ripped off parts of her Soul."

"Somebody survived a bad Noise att-?"

"And she was still alive."

Lumière choked on his cigarette, the dust falling on his arm and smoldering against the scaled skin, "What? How's that even-"

"-possible? I don't know."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby cut into the steak and eggs, looking up as Yang sat across from her. Doffing her headphones, Ruby looked at her sister, the heavy metal stopping as she hit her Scroll's "Hey."

"Hey!" Yang said, "Morning!'

"Morning," Ruby said, smiling at his sister while hiding the relief at the lack of the others Yang had easily roped into a group. Socialization wasn't her forte.

Ruby, in fact, heavily suspected that the highest ranks of the Game was designed around throwing orders down in an endless pile of shoving it onto someone else so they didn't need to be social. The Angels only talked to the Producers, the Producer was only normally supposed to talk to the Composer, who only talked to the Conductor, who only talked to those Harriers who were strong enough to become a Cantus and act as Game Master. And yeah, part of that _might_ have been because a high enough frequency could lead to bad times for people with lower frequencies… but they were also capable of lowering their frequency at will.

It wasn't like Yang had spontaneously burst into flames the first time Ruby walked into the house after her Game… Ok, that was a bad example because Yang _did_ occasionally burst into flames. But it wasn't Ruby's fault!

Ruby could barely get pyrokinesis working without a Pin or weapon to anchor it… or in Cantus form. And yeah, it was _cool_ to have a flaming sword or spear, but it wasn't really that much more useful unless the Noise she was killing was particularly weak to fire.

Maybe she could practice lighting Crescent Rose on fire? That'd be a cool shake up for fights. Or maybe using something else as an anchor? But what?

Or maybe she could use it for Dust Rounds? Gravity bullets burning with Pyrokinesis? Or Hard Light chilled with Cryokinesis? That'd-

Ruby blinked as Yang swung a hand in front of her face, breaking her from her thoughts. Yang had grabbed a plate of waffles, pouring maple syrup on them, "Wha-?"

"You were zoned out," Yang said, "and uh…"

Ruby blinked as she realized her steak knife was in the air, held like a pen. Lowering it in embarrassment, Ruby coughed, "Sorry."

"Alright…" Yang drawled, watching Ruby carefully, "Y'all right, Rubes?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, nodding.

"Looking forward to the teams?" Yang asked.

"Yeah," Ruby cut into the streak, hiding her embarrassment.

"Yeah," Yang drawled, "sure you are…"

"Yeah!" Ruby said.

"Let's eat and get out there," Yang said.

"Yeah!" Ruby said around a bite of steak.

\- X **Yang** X-

Yang watched Ruby adjust her outfit, noticing the pin with the image of a bear roaring that Ruby had added to it her belt. Otherwise, she noticed the pair of butterfly knives Ruby had brought with her.

It was kinda hard _not_ to notice them, when Ruby was deftly playing with them with closed eyes. The knives and her hands were a blur of motion, too quick for Yang to really keep track of except for when Ruby would toss one knife under one arm and snatch it out of the air.

Ruby tossed both knives behind her back, before snapping her hand up to catch them as they sailed over her head. Catching them, Ruby continued to play with the knives, apparently completely unaware of the gathering students.

"Is that-" Jaune stuttered, watching Ruby bounce a knife off her wrist and catch it in a reversed grip, before dancing the knife along her knuckles so it was back to a normal one, "is that safe?"

"It's playing with knives," a white haired girl with blue eyes scoffed, taking a step towards Ruby and moving to grab her arm, "of course it isn't-"

What little flush there was to the girl's face vanished as Ruby contorted around her arm like a snake, eyes springing open and knives flashing towards the girl. The white haired girl jumped back, deflecting the attack with a rapier. Ruby pushed off her headphones, staring at the girl in confusion and hitting the stop button on her scroll.

 _Why did I have to break in? I only came here to-_

"What's up?" Ruby asked, snapping both knives shut with a flick of her wrists, before blushing as it appeared to dawn on her how many people were watching her, "Uh-"

"You just attacked me!" White snapped.

"Because you tried to grab her out of nowhere," Blake said from the crowd, snapping her book shut in a way that was _just_ shy of over dramatic, in Yang's opinions.

The white haired girl flushed, sputtering with rage for a second before jabbing a finger at Ruby, "She was quite literally juggling knives with her eyes closed!"

"Yeah, and she wasn't hurting anybody," Blake said, "not until you decided to interrupt her."

"I- I-!" White huffed again, before storming away from them, "Whatever, just be more careful!"

"Thanks," Ruby said, voice weak as she smiled up at Blake. Blake nodded, cracking a small grin.

"Anytime I can make Weiss Schnee look like she's gonna explode is a good time," Blake said, smiling, "I think Ozpin is coming."

\- X **Ruby** X-

As Ruby flew through the air, eyes on the approaching forest, she took a second to consider her options on slowing the fall and slid on her hood. Semblance or Frequency? Finally, Ruby span around a small Nevermore, shooting it out of the air as she upped her frequency for a second.

Black, stylized skeletal pinions flashed into existence along Ruby's back, flaring to slow her fall. Despite the gaping holes in the Reaper's wings, they successfully slowed Ruby, letting her hover in the air as they beat before landing and shifting back to the RG. Stepping towards the small pack of seven Beowolves, Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose.

 _Ruby_? Amber growled, clinging to her shoulder.

"I'll be fine," Ruby said, a grin beginning to split her face. Watching the first two wolves attack, moving to flank her, Ruby adjusted her stance, slid on her headphones and selected her song.

Sliding low as the claws slashed for her side, aiming to disembowel her, Ruby span Crescent Rose like a baton, controlling the weight as she passed it from one hand to the other. The Grimm gave a pained howl as their arms flew from their body, but Ruby didn't let up.

Continuing the dance, the Conductor slid Crescent Rose between one of the two Grimm's legs and pulled the trigger. Crescent Rose ripped through black flesh and white bone easily, splitting the Beowolf in two. Spinning in air, Ruby fired two shots right into two other Grimm heads. Bringing Crescent Rose down, Ruby shattered the skull of the other Grimm she had cut the arm of.

Letting go of the scythe as it stuck within the Grimm's head, Ruby drew the sword off her back, hitting the button to unfold the blade from the hilt. Moving for the last two Grimm, Ruby closed her eyes and began to consider her options as she continued the fight.

Yang was the obvious answer for a partner. They knew each other, obviously, and that would make synchronizing easier. Far, far easier. Twisting around a claw swipe, Ruby stabbed into the pit of the Beowolf's arm, listening to it howl in pain as she drew the sword. Dancing back as the other Beowolf rushed at her, Ruby did as little movement as needed to dodge each attack.

Then there was Pyrrha. She had won… how many tournaments? Enough that Hei mentioned her, so she had to be a good fighter. She was close enough that Ruby could pick her up, if she went that way...

Ruby span around the next attack, feeling the air push her cloak to the side. Finishing the spin, Ruby drove the sword into the back of the Beowolf's neck between the bone. Blake was also an option, she seemed nice enough, and neither of them were really social, so Ruby could focus on Conducting.

Letting go of the sword as the last Grimm lunged at her, Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose, drawing it from the sloughing flesh of Beowolf it had been lodged in and spinning the scythe around. The blade rested on the Grimm's midsection, before Ruby fired it and felt the Grimm be split in two.

Opening her eyes, Ruby felt her stomach plummet as she met the blue eyes of the white haired girl she had almost attacked earlier, who was staring at her with a wide mouth. Great…

"Uh," Ruby said, pushing off her headphones, "Hi?"

\- X **Weiss** X-

The words that flashed through Weiss's head as she watched the brunette fight the Grimm were as fitting as the were simple. Danse Macabre.

Each blind step was like a dance step, each attack was flawlessly flowed into. At one point, Weiss began to move forward as it looked like the girl would take a step backwards and pin herself against a tree, only for her to move past the Beowolf in a spin, sliding the sword into the Grimm's neck between the bone spikes. Not even bothering to try to free the blade from the Grimm, she merely continued to dance around the attacks from the last Beowolf, grabbing a scythe and using it to bisect the Grimm. Weiss watched her step forward, opening her eyes.

"Uh…" the girl said, "hi?"

"Hello," Weiss said carefully, stepping into the clearing and drawing the sword from the back of the Grimm. She had to reevaluate her opinion of the girl, because she clearly knew some of what she was doing.

Maybe she had a scanner-type Semblance? Or rather, a Semblance that could be used to scan her surroundings. There had been a Faunus duelist in the Mantle Fencing Tournament last year who could manipulate certain vibrations, causing Myrtenaster to hum quietly enough that Weiss hadn't realized it at first.

Either way, she was an adept fighter. Definitely someone Weiss wanted on her team for the Vytal Festival. So ideally, it would be Weiss, Pyrrha, this girl and…

Weiss really didn't know. Who would be a good fourth member?

"Can I have my sword back?" The other girl asked, voice soft and uncomfortable as she pressed the butt of her scythe into the ground.

Weiss turned the sword, angling it at the ground and offering it to the slightly taller girl. She pulled the trigger, the blade folding into the hilt before she stored it in the confines of her encompassing red cloak, doing the same with her scythe, "I'm Weiss Schnee."

"..." the girl shifted, before holding out her hand, "I'm Ruby Rose. We should probably go find the relics, shouldn't we?" Ruby sair, turning away from Weiss and flicking out a knife, "They're supposed to be north of here, right?"

"Right?" Weiss said, taken aback. Well, unless we were launched too far, then it could be south, or east or west.

"North," Ruby nodded rapidly, "C'mon, let's go!"

Weiss trailed behind Ruby before finally getting a handle on things, "Hold on!"

"What?" Ruby said, turning towards Weiss.

"How do you even know that's north?" Weiss demanded.

"It's north," Ruby said, continuing that way.

"I said-" Weiss repeated, creating a wall of ice, "How do you kno-?"

The demand died on her tongue as Ruby's skin and cloak faded into red and black smoke, billowing over the wall and reforming on the other side. Weiss's mouth fell open again, before she let the wall fade.

"Sun," Ruby said, voice clipped.

"What?"

"The sun," Ruby said, jerking her hand, and knife, to the right, "it's still morning, right?"

"...Right," Weiss said, it quite literally dawning on her, "so that's east… which means-"

"-That's north," Ruby finished, pointing the knife ahead.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby did her best to hide the rolling dread in her gut, Weiss trailing behind her. Of all the people, it had to be the one she attacked.

Ruby was suddenly, painfully aware that she was playing with one of the same knives she had done that with, storing in beneath her cloak with a flourish. Touching the pin as Ruby slid the knife into its place, Ruby cracked a glib smile as Amber rubbed a hand- paw- against her head, _Are you alright_?

Ruby gave a sharp nod, nor daring to answer the question aloud. Pulling out her Scroll as it gave a telling beep, Ruby stifled the pained sigh as she watched the Faunus be dragged forward, bruises on his face as he glared up at the red haired man standing in front of him. A defiant glob of blood was spat out of swollen lips hitting the mask.

Ruby liked this one already, and she ignored the stab of pain at the knowledge that there wasn't much she could do to help him at this point. If her Scroll was informing her, not even going Cantus would get to him in time.

Every time this happened, Ruby was left wondering what potential the person had. Were they working on the next great Valen novel? Were they a painter?

And did it really matter? They were worthy of the Game, there was a chance they could come back. They were-

Ruby watched the red haired man backhand the soon to be Player. The Player jerked out of the grip holding him from the blow, grabbing a pistol off the waist of one of the two guards holding him, moving to level it at the red head.

Too slow, way too slow. But Ruby could appreciate the bravery, the attempt to fight against his fate. He'd make it through the Game with no prob-

The thought was cut off as a bang came out of her headphones, the man collapsing with a hole in his head. Ruby's grip on the Scroll tightened, biting into the edge of her hand as she flinched. Next to her, Amber gave a slight whimper.

"What?" Weiss said as Ruby stopped, opening her contacts and calling Zelda. The writer and her partner had taken Wall duty in that region today.

"Hello?" Griselda asked, sounding confused, "What is it?"

"There's a new Player near you," Ruby said, voice hushed, "can you go get him if I send you the location?"

"Yeah," Griselda said, audibly sitting up straighter.

"Go in the UG," Ruby ordered, "it was at a WFB, I don't want to fight them if we don't have to."

"Right," Griselda said, "Does he have a name?"

"Don't know," Ruby said, "Well, he obviously has one, but…"

"You didn't hear it," Griselda said, "I'll get Hector and we'll get him. How's school going?"

Ruby's eyes jumped to the impatiently waiting Weiss, "it's… going…"

"That good, huh?" Griselda said, "I'll leave you to it."

Ruby sighed as she stored her Scroll away, continuing towards the north, wondering how far they were from the relics. Weiss held out an arm, "You want to tell me what that was about?"

"No," Ruby said, still in full Conductor-mode. Stopping at the quartet of lumbering Ursa, Ruby cracked her neck. All four were staring at her with hungry eyes.

Ruby stared back, drawing Crescent Rose while Weiss drew her rapier. Time to put that behind her for the time being.

\- X **Glynda** X-

"Glynda?"

"Yes, sir?" Glynda asked, feeling just as confused as her boss must have been.

"The damper is on, yes?"

"Yes," Glynda said.

"Then how did Miss Rose just make a call?" Ozpin wondered aloud, tapping the fingers around the handle of his cane, eyes narrowing behind his glasses, "and to who?"

"Good questions,' Glynda said, pulling up the screen and increasing the volume as much as she could, straining to hear the half of the hurried conversation Miss Rose had just had.

"Go in the UG," Miss Rose said, all but ordered, voice sharp as it was quite, "it was a WFB, I don't want to fight them if we don't have to… Don't know. Well, he obviously has one, but…"

Miss Rose shifted, suddenly uncomfortable, "It's… going…"

Then she hung up, storing the Scroll. Well, that explained nothing. UG? WFB?

"We'll look into it," Ozpin said, a frown on his face.

\- X **Hector** X-

"What was that about?" Hector asked his partner, sharpening his knives. They were seated in the back of the restaurant he owned both taking the day all but off.

Wall duty, ya had to love it. Especially when the Wall wasn't supposed to go down for nothing.

"We've got a new Player," Griselda said, shutting her Scroll and stretching, before kicking her weapons in the air, catching the chigiriki, electricity spitting along them from the psychs.

The UG was still dangerous, even for a Reaper. In some ways, it was more dangerous for them than the Players. There were some Noise they never let meet a Player, because it would be a massacre, and they were supposed to give Players a _chance_ to win. That meant it fell on the Harriers or Conductor to kill those Noise.

More often the Conductor the last couple of years, but with Ruby on the edge of Vale, they were gonna need to start pulling their weight again. And that was ignoring the very literally _cutthroat_ world of Reaper politics. Even with the bosses having implemented Reaper Sport Five, it was still dangerous.

Which is why every _Cantus_ level Reaper got a weapon infused with Psychs from Ruby. You couldn't go any better than her when it came to that.

Weapons and fighting was all Ruby seemed to think she was good for sometimes. Yes, she was anti-social, but she had managed to stabilize Vale's UG. Bring some order to it. And while Hector would never admit it to her face, he was thankful for that.

"Right," Hector nodded, grabbing his shoulder holster and pulling it on, "Where to?"

"White Fang," Griselda said.

"Oh, boy," Hector said, checking his pistol, "chances of him being hostile?"

Griselda shrugged, "Keep it holstered till we know, but feel free to keep the safety off."

"Gun safety," Hector deadpanned, but did just that, "You suck at it. Grove! I'm goin' out for a bit!"

The other chef stopped, looking at them both before nodding to his boss. Clearly not wanting to be involved.

Good boy.

Stepping out of the back door, Hector shifted his frequency along with Griselda.

"Race you?" Hector said, turning towards Griselda, only to see her perched on the railing like a bird and leaping off, climbing onto the building opposite them, "I didn't say go!"

"Too bad!" She called back, continuing to run.

Hector jumped, catching the same ledge and running after Griselda. The White Fang Base wasn't far from here, only a couple of minutes.

…

Hector stopped on the edge of the building, jumping down after Griselda. A young man stood next to his body, staring at it sadly. As they approached, he whipped around, moving to backhand Griselda before she wrapped one chain around his arm, pushing it down, "You don't want to do that."

"Wha- you can see me?"

"No, we're just incredibly lucky," Hector said, "she just happened to move to deflect the blow, just happened to move her weapon. Of course we can see you, dumbass."

"But… how?"

"We're Reapers," Hector said, "that's our job."

"Reap-?" The man started, "So you're here to bring me to the afterlife?"

"Not necessarily," Hector said, walking around him and over the cooling body.

"What do you mean 'not necessarily'?"

"You like games, guy?" Hector drawled, loading a single bullet into his revolver and spinning the chambers, "Reapers love 'em. Tag, Hunts, Atlesian Roulette, Hide and Seek, Knives."

"What the hell are you-?"

"And then there's the big one," Hector finished, " _the_ Reaper Game. We play that with ones like you."

"Like me?"

"Artsy types," Hector said, "you paint? Sculpt, maybe?"

"...Yeah."

"So here's the deal," Hector said, "You play a game with us, win, and you get to come back from the dead. Lose, and we make sure you don't come back _ever_."

"And if I refuse?"

"You pass on," Hector said, "but you won't."

"You sure about that?"

"As sure as your cooling corpse," Hector said, "people don't refuse. It's too good a deal to pass up."

"Yep," the man said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I always wanted the chance to be shot in the head twice."

"I'm not gonna make you play Atlesian Ro-"

"That's not it," the man growled, pointing at his body, "They shot me for not being loyal enough! Tell me one reason they won't do it again?"

Hector was quite for a second, before shrugging, "Zelda?"

Griselda stepped forward, smashing the chigiriki into the back of his skull. Lightning spat from the weapon, and he dropped, "third one this month."

"And that's just us," Hector said, throwing the unconscious body over his shoulder, "We need to bring this up with Ruby."

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake walked onto the stone dais of the ruins with Yang, Gambol Shroud held in a backhand grip. Across from them, Ruby was standing with Weiss Schnee.

Poor girl. She wouldn't have wished having Weiss as a partner on her worst enemy. And Ruby, while _strange_ (who constantly played with knives like that? Did she have ADHD or something?) didn't seem like a bad person.

All four of them stopped as a Ursa came charging out of the forest, Yang throwing herself between them and pulling back her hand to punch it, the gauntlet folding out over her hand. Before she could hit it, the Grimm collapsed, a teen with ginger hair and blue-green eyes jumping off it with a manic grin and laugh, "That was fun!"

"Fun?" Blake asked in confusion, lowering Gambol Shroud a fraction of an inch. Everyone had drawn a weapon, ready to attack the now fading Grimm.

"Yeah!" She said, throwing a pair of green guns she had apparently been using as reins into the air. A boy wearing a green tailcoat caught them with a sigh while the girl rushed forward, grabbing the rook piece out of Ruby's hand. The younger girl didn't respond to it, eyes narrowing as she pulled out the second butterfly knife, abandoning the flashy movements for a simple gesture to open it, "Mine!"

"Nora," the boy said, "We're never doing that aga- something's coming."

How can you tell?" Weiss demanded.

"Trees," Ruby and the boy said at the same time. Blake's ear stood up straight beneath her bow. There _was_ crashing approaching them. The type of Grimm that would be doing that was-

"Run!" Jaune called, running out of the forest alongside Pyrrha. Seconds later, a massive Deathstalker, the size of a tank, smashed out of the trees, "Ru-!"

Before he could finish, a pair of knives flew over over everyone's head, gouging into the two smallest eyes of the Grimm. It gave a loud shriek, stopping its charge and thrashed. Blake blinked, realizing Ruby had somehow thrown the butterfly knives across the space with enough accuracy to hit the eyes.

The boy in green turned, firing his guns at the Grimm. Most of the bullets glanced off the chitin, but two more eyes exploded in sprays of blood.

"Yang!" Ruby called, pulling out a giant scythe and embedding it into the ground and aiming down the scope. Pulling the trigger, one of the largest eyes ruptured, "Explosive Rounds!"

"Right!" Yang said, pulling out a two line of connected shells, tossing them into her gauntlets and cocking them.

"Blake! Help her onto the Deathstalker!" Ruby continued, firing another shot at the Deathstalker. The bullet cracked into the shell, exploding seconds later, "Weiss! Can you hit there with a spike of ice?"

"Can I-?" Weiss started, before scoffing, "of course I can!"

"Then do it!" Ruby ordered, eyes sharp, and for the first time, Blake felt like she was seeing the girl in her element. The socially awkward teen abandoned.

"I-!" Weiss started, "Fine!"

Blake cupped her hands, helping Yang into the air and onto the Grimm. Yang grinned down at the Grimm, before jabbing at the freshly opened eye wound in a move that, in spite of herself, Blake couldn't help but wince at. Especially once the charge went off, detonating in the eye and blowing the wound even further open. The Deathstalker reared back, writhing in pain from the blow and thrash Yang off.

The shard of ice drove into the Deathstalker, sending it tipping backwards with a heavy thud. Before it could right itself, Pyrrha leapt high into the air, spinning the spear and casting it straight into the chink in the armor. The Grimm stopped moving, curling up and dying.

"Well, uh," Ruby said, returning to her introverted state and slid into her cloak, pulling her headphones up over her ears, "Good job?"

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby sat on the stage, aware of the hundred eyes on them, and fighting every instinct telling her to flee into the UG. That was only gonna raise more questions, if she suddenly vanished in front of all the students. Instead, she just continued to squirm while Amber put a paw on her cheek.

Ruby owed the woman turned Noise, because she had saved Ruby's hide back in the forest. Ruby hadn't thought before she told Weiss which direction North was, just knowing that Vale was _south_ of them at that moment in time (now it was to the west of them). If Amber hadn't offered the idea of the sun… well, Ruby didn't know what she would have done.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark," Ozpin said, standing in the center of a bright light, "The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester."

Four boys to Ruby's left grinned at each other, giving high fives while they cheered. Mentally, the mulleted boy mourned his loss. Both at being team leader and not being on the same team as… her?

Ruby hid the uncomfortable flush that spread across her face the best she could. Thank goodness for the hot lights pressing on them.

"You alright, Rubes?" Yang asked, leaning over to her. Ruby nodded, squeaking out her answer.

"Yeah, just hot!"

"Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren," Ozpin continued, "The four of you collected the White Rook pieces-"

Nora thrust the rook into the air, grinning as a lot of the crowd laughed. She had refused to give up the statue.

"-From this day forward, you will work together as Team NAVL, lead by Pyrrha Nikos."

Pyrrha gave a smile and a wave, before being pulled into a massive group hug by Nora. Ruby glanced down as he Scroll began to vibrate, hitting the button to hang up.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin continued as Ruby glanced down at her Scroll as it went off again. Hitting the button to reject the call, Ruby focused on Ozpin, "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by-"

Ruby looked down at her Scroll again, finally rejecting the call and sending a message to Hector, _little busy_.

 _We need to talk_ , the message said, _now_.

It hadn't even been a friggin' day yet, _Why_?

 _I'll tell you when you get here,_ Hector sent, _it's important_.

Ruby slowly became aware of the deafening silent around her, looking up and around at all the people staring at her, "What?"

"Congrats, _Team Leader_ ," Yang said with a grin, clapping Ruby on the shoulder. Ruby stared at Yang blankly, trying to comprehend what she had just been told.

Finally, she planted her face in her hands, "No, no, nonononono…"

"Yes, Miss Rose," Ozpin said.

"Please, no?" Ruby begged.

"I'm sorry," Ozpin said, "but after watching you today there really isn't another option in my mind."

Ruby gave a whimper, stupid UG.

"Now, you should probably deal with whoever has been harassing you these last few minutes," Ozpin said, "Go, and consider it the only apology I'll give you for putting you in this position."

"Thank you, sir," Ruby said, stepping off the stage. At least that was one problem dealt with.

\- X **Hector** X-

" _I'll be right there_ ," Hector read to the gathered Harriers before standing up and heading to the back door to the Club. Pushing it open, he only had a second to hear the familiar scream of air before Ruby smashed into the roof of the club in Cantus form. She stood up straight just long enough for Hector to stare at the monster the Conductor could become.

It was smaller than some Cantus. Kolr and Orla would tower over it if they went Cantus. But that wasn't saying much, because they were the size of quad-story buildings. But it didn't need to be, what it lacked in mass, it made up in intimidation.

Little of what the monster actually _was_ was impossible to see under the black armor that covered much of the body, energy rolling off the tip of naturally clawed hands. The black wings of a Reaper were barely visible under the dozens of blades the same color in a mockery of feather, each the size of a man. Red Enochian, _true Enochian_ , sigils blazed across the armor and 'feathers', making Hector sick just at a glance.

Clasped in each hand were a pair of blades that, on any normal sized beast, would have been swords. But to it, they were daggers.

Hector forced himself to meet Ruby's eyes, they were still quicksilver, "We need to talk."

" **You keep saying that** ," Ruby said, and Hector was left wondering, not for the first time, if there was a mouth under that helm… or if it was even a helm, " **Why**?''

"Come in," Hector said, "We'll tell you."

The creature shrank, the armor disappearing, the blades fell from the wings, vanishing before they hit the ground. Finally, Ruby stopped shrinking, a head smaller than Hector, and the wings disappeared. She snapped shut the butterfly knives, "I hope this is good. I've got classes in the morning and-"

"Good?" Hector said, "if it was _good_ I would have been bugging you. It is _important_."

"...You spend too much time with Zelda," Ruby said with a sigh, walking towards Hector, "So, what is it?"

"Well," Hector said, rubbing the back of his neck, "You see, starting two months ago the White Fang has-"

"-started forcing people to work for them," Ruby said, "I know "

"That's part of it," Hector said as they walked into the loft, gesturing for Ruby to take a seat… and for the Malachite sisters to begin working on the drinks, "but that's not all."

\- X Miltia X-

Miltia was halfway into handing Kolr a drink when the wave hit her. The weaker Harrier coughed, fighting against the pain laying across her chest. Ruby was leaning forward, head bowed and fingers laced. In spite of the sigils meant to overlay the RG and UG, Ruby's stygian black wings were flared.

"It took you this long to tell me about this?" Ruby asked, voice soft and seething.

"We were hoping they were gonna slow down or stop," Rufina said, holding a glass of wine.

"Might still," Irving said, "There was an episode a few years back, after what's-his-face-"

"-Ghira Belladonna," Orla said.

"Yeah, him," Irving said, shrugging, "I still think you jumped the gun, Hect. It'll die down."

"Even if I did jump the gun, we have problems, numbskull," Hector said, "More people die to the White Fang, pick to go right on to the afterlife, means we have less Players. Less Players means we have less points to go around, less Soul being introduced into Vale-"

"-and if we do something about it, those same Faunus don't die," Irving said taking his glass from Melanie and smiling at her, "thank you, my dear."

"And they contribute some Soul just by living," Hector said, eyes blazing, "So if we let this keep going-"

"We get dead Faunus," Ruby said, touching the straw of her mixture of ginger ale and grenadine, using it to stir the drink, "less soul-"

"Less points going around for us," Griselda said, "Which means we're gonna be fighting over kills."

"We already do that," Orla said.

"But this time, there's a risk that we'll be doing it with the loser facing Erasure," Griselda said.

"So what?" Irving asked, staring at his glass, "We go to war against the White Fang?"

Miltia's heart plummeted as nobody gave an answer to that question. Irivng seemed to realize it too, starting, "Hey, no. No! We can't-"

"We might have to," Ruby said, eyes flicking over to Milita and her twin, "Where's Hei?"

"Don't know," Milita said, "He went into his office, and disappeared. He'll show up, he always does."

"I know," Ruby said, eyes closing.

"Don't you need to ask the Composer about this?" Irving asked.

"She set me on some of the goons downstairs a couple of days ago," Ruby said, eyes closed, "She won't care."

"How do we know we won't just make things worse?" Irving asked, "push the Fang harder? Make them feel like caged anim- Ok, that was a really bad turn of phrase."

"Ya think?" Kolr asked, downing his drink and closing his eyes, "He's right, the leader of the Vale Fang is a Faunus Supremacist…"

"See!" Irving said.

"...Which means if we're gonna do this," Kolr said, "We're gonna need to go right for the head."

"And create a martyr?" Irving asked.

Hector quietly inclined his head. Ruby didn't say anything, eyes closed.

Finally, she stood with a sigh, "We're gonna give them one chance. We're gonna hit the base from today, keep everyone alive, and make it clear that they're gonna stop this."

"And if they don't?" Hector asked.

"If they don't," Ruby said, "Then yes, the Reapers are going to war."

\- X **AN** X_-

End Prologue.

Start Act I: The Reapers' Tally

Thoughts, questions and opinions? Good, bad, meh?

Also, if anyone got the reference early in the chapter, don't worry. Nothing else from that setting applies here.


	5. Chapter 5

The first sign something was wrong came to Bane quite suddenly. It was when the doors to the warehouse exploded off their hinges, crashing to the ground in a flash of energy. Grabbing Eviscerator, he started it as the others pointed guns at the doorway. Tension grew throughout the room, before finally, the person who did it made themselves known.

Stepping through the doorway holding a bo-staff was a teen? Or a short adult? Whatever, wearing a red and black coat, "I'm giving you one chance, drop your weapons."

Bane couldn't help the laugh that rose up, lowering his chainsword, "You want us to-"

Before he could finish, the girl repeated herself, "Drop your weapons, yes."

"Why? Do you think this is a game? Or that you're some sort of superher-?" one again, before Bane could finish, the girl moved forward, sweeping the nearest Faunus's feet out from under him with her leg and and smashing him into the ground with the staff, "SHOOT HER!"

Dozens of guns went off, bullets flying towards her. The didn't hit, not from bad accuracy, but from the girl suddenly turning into a mass of billowing smoke and flower petals, the bullets flying through and hitting the wall with a bang. She reformed suddenly behind another Faunus, smashing him into the ground and gesturing at the rest of them, "Hero? No, oh, no. Nobody thinks I'm the _hero_ , I'm the _villain_. Take them down. I've got the leader."

"Wha-?" Before the question could finish passing from his lips, eight figures appeared suddenly, setting upon some of Bane's men while the girl casually walked towards Bane, smoke billowing off her.

Bane barely had time to catch the systematic elimination of his men, by flail and pistol whip, axe, a heavy bow and a hulking, ape-like fanged beast, a spear wielding man alongside an almost dainty woman with fists, a pair of twins wearing kicks and claws. The smoke suddenly launched forward, forcibly reforming into the girl as she attacked Bane.

Bane dodged to the side, swinging Eviscerator to take the girl's head off. She dodged the blow by shifting her weight, and when the follow up came, drew a blade from the staff, catching the chainsword with a whine and kickback. Bane's eyes widened under his mask, while a pair of glowing eyes glared back at him.

Before Bane could react, the sword exploded in sickening, bloody red flames. Bane winced as the heat lashsd at his hand. A blow from the other half of the staff nearly lifted him off his feet, and sent the blade out of his hands and along the ground, "You-!"

"Earlier today," the girl said, and her voice was high pitched enough that Bane was sure she was a girl, "You kil-"

"Shut-" Bane swung his fist at her in a backhand blow, only for her to dodge the attack with sway and sheathed the sword back into the staff, driving it into his so hard that it _did_ lift him off his feet, "guh!"

"Earlier today," the girl started again, crouching in front of Bane, "you killed someone here. Don't bother trying to deny it, we know you did. We're holding back today, nobody dies today. But if you do it again, and trust me, we will know."

"SHUT UP!" Bane roared, fangs bared under his mask, he wrapped his hands around the girl's throat, knocking back the hood to stare into the silvery eyes set in a black mask in the shape of an animal as he throttled her, "Who the hell do you think you are, to tell us what-?"

The girl vanished into smoke as a foot hit into the back of his head, smashing his mask and face onto the ground as the noise of a gun cocking came from behind him, "She, you dumb fuck, is Vale's Conducer. And the only reason I'm not putting two into your head right now is because she's giving you more charity than you deserve."

"Where's Ursus?" The girl said, not even sounding winded.

"Leaving 'em a reminder that'll stick," the man said, grinding his foot into the back of Bane's head. Bane planted his hands on the ground, pushing himself up, and immediately choking as a second foot smashed into his trachea, "Hey, be careful, Leonis. We're not supposed to kill 'em."

"He wanted to choke our dear Conductor," the woman wearing a suit and mask said, "Hopefully that'll be a lesson otherwise."

"Strangle."

"Hmm?"

"He was strangling her," another said.

"Whatever."

"So yeah, we'll know," the Conductor said, leaning down in front of him, "and we'll be back and… uh… we'll _not_ hold back. Aquila, grab the chainsword, Catus, deal with any cameras. Let's go."

"You got it boss," Aquila said, kicking Bane in the gut and sending him curling up before grabbing Eviscerator, resting it across his shoulders, "I'd say see you later, shitlick, but if that was true, it'd be a really, really bad day for ya."

One by one, the group vanished from sight like ghosts, leaving nothing but a horde of unconscious Faunus.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby stared at the spray painted words with a nonplussed… stare, arms hanging at her side while most of the Reapers disbanded. She really, really didn't know how to react to the words in all caps that Kolr had just finished, the skull of a Player Pin with the wings of a Reaper on either side under it.

 _ **DON'T FUCK WITH THE REAPERS!**_

"That's…" Ruby started.

"If you're gonna say too far," Hector said, storing his gun, "We just blasted down their door, beat the shit outta them, and threatened to fucking ice them if they stepped outta line. This isn't going too far, boss, because we're way past that point."

Ruby wanted to deny that, but found she couldn't bring herself to. He really, really wasn't wrong, "Do you think we did the right thing, Hec?"

"You want my honest answer?" Hector asked, taking off the mask Rufina and Irving has supplied on short notice.

"Yeah," Ruby said, removing her own mask and pulling off the cap she was wearing over her hair, shaking her head to free it.

"Yeah, we did the right thing today," he said, planting a hand on her shoulder, "let 'em know we exist, they'll just think we're another gang. And there are plenty of 'em in Vale."

"We just tore through a White Fang base," Ruby said, "and they had way more than us."

"So?" Hector said, leaning against the wall and scratching his cheek, "They didn't have their Aura unlocked. We didn't do anything that people wouldn't infer was Semblance. Biggest problem we might have is people assuming this was race based."

Ruby stopped, face paling, "oh…"

"You hadn't thought about that?" Hector deadpanned.

"No," Ruby said, voice weak.

"It's likely to happen, you know that, right?" Hector said, "like, there an almost non-zero chance that they won't try to spin-doctor this into being racially motivated."

"...Crap on a cracker," Ruby breathed.

"It'll be fine," Kolr said, stepping away from the warehouse, "the Fang makes literally anything that happens race based. They could be attacked by a horde of Beowolves, miles away from any human, and they'd still find a way to blame you guys for it. People who believe it will believe it no matter what, Faunus with half a brain will realize that just because you say something had something to do with race doesn't-"

"What the fuck happened here?" A red haired man in a black longcoat stormed in front of them, climbing off a motorcycle of the same color and grabbing a chokutō sheathed in a gun. Ruby silently held up her hand, stopping Hector and Kolr.

"He's the one who did it," Ruby said, voice icy.

"He's in charge of the White Fang here," Kolr said, "Adam Taurus."

Ruby breathed in, clutching the staff and weighing her options. All it'd take is stepping out of the UG for a second, take his head off with a single blow and then dive back into the UG.

"Who are the Reapers!?" The man demanded, "No, it doesn't matter. We're gonna ruin them, make them pay!"

"They said," the short hair lieutenant spat, blood rolling down his nose, "They said it was because of the execution from earlier today. Said they would come back if we did it again."

"They think they can tell us what to do? Tell us how to deal with our traitors!?" Adam growled, "Get that nose fixed, we're gonna find them, teach them a lesson."

So that was it then.

Ruby closed her eyes, enveloping herself in the pulsing song of the UG. She'd give them a chance, pray that they stopped being fools…

Because if not, it was gonna be bloody.

"I'm heading back to Beacon," Ruby said, "We'll wait for until when the Game is over before we make the next move."

Both Hector and Kolr nodded, stepping back as Ruby started to shift her Soul. Bone armor formed over her, pitch black with Violant accents the staff grew larger, Enochian burning along it. Blades the same color formed along her wings, and Ruby launched into the sky, clearing the space between the club and and where they had been in seconds, air screaming between her wings.

Now it was time to figure out where her team was.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake came to quite suddenly, locking up as she heard the door to her room swing open. Reaching under her pillow, she wrapped a hand around her Huntsman's Knife. Glancing at the clock, Blake bit air. One in the morning?

The person walked to the bags, clicking on a penlight and washing it over them, before focusing on one bag and unzipping it. They grabbed something from it before vanishing into the bathroom.

Blake slid out of bed, knife prepared as she slid next to the door. The moment the door swung open, she stepped forward, moving her knife to press it against the neck. Ruby Rose didn't blink, just wrapping one hand around Blake's arm and hyperflexing it, latching a hand around her neck and lifting Blake off her feet in a chokeslam.

"Wuh!?" Yang jerked up, sitting up and staring at them, "What's-?"

"She attacked me," Ruby said, yawning and letting go of Blake, she span Blake's knife around and offered it back to Blake.

"Sorry," Blake said, taking it and taking the offered hand, "I'm jumpy and I just heard someone come in…"

"What were you doing out so late?" Weiss asked, eyes narrowed.

"Stuff," Ruby said, sliding on her headphones, hitting the play button and tipping over onto her bed. Yang stood up, walking over to her sister, gently sliding her legs onto the bed and pulled the blankets over her.

"Ruby's been a bit weird when it comes to sleeping for years now," Yang said with a shrug, heading back to her bed, "don't worry about it."

-X Weiss X-

Weiss woke up as her clock went off, sitting up to watch her partner and… team leader sitting in the corner with a book, spinning one of her knives in one hand. Unlike the last time Weiss had seen her, she seemed completely recovered and tranquil.

Despite that, Weiss carefully stood up, walking towards her. Ruby Rose had attacked two members of her team already because they had approached her without warning. Weiss stepped into Ruby's field of view and the girl looked up, eyes somewhere between white and grey met blue, and Ruby snapped the book shut, sweeping her headphones off her head with an ease that could only come from near constant practice, her knife closing with a click, "...Hi."

"Hello," Weiss said, "You look… better than last night."

"I was busy," Ruby said, "wasn't expecting to be attacked."

Weiss nodded, "I see…"

Half her team was paranoidal. Great.

"We should probably wake the rest of the team up," Ruby said, standing up and walking to the blond, practically shoving her off the bed, "Get up."

"That time already?" The older girl said with a yawn, standing up and cracking her back by pressing her fists into her spine.

"Probably a bit on the early side," Ruby said, "but you want to brush your hair, right?"

"Right," Yang said, standing up and walking over to her bag and fishing her hairbrush out of the bag and disappearing into their bathroom, the door locking with a click.

"You know each other?" Weiss asked.

"We're sisters," Ruby said. Weiss stopped, glancing between Ruby and the shut door. They were _sisters_?

Ruby reached out to touch Blake's shoulder, only for Blake to mumble out, "'m awake."

Ruby retracted her hand, "are you alright?"

"'Ye," Blake said, "jus' dun wanna get up yet."

"Sorry," Ruby said, retracting her hand, "but you need to, classes are in an hour."

"Mhhh," Blake sat up and Weiss couldn't help the confused stare. Who slept with a bow in their hair?

-X **Ruby** X-

Ruby walked into the cafeteria with her team, shifting in her new uniform. She really, really didn't like this. Both her combat and Reaper outfit… which she also did a fair bit of fighting in… whatever, they breathed. This was… it was stuffy.

At least it had a place to put the pins Ruby felt she needed. The Harmonizer, Amber's pin and, underneath the main coat, the Player Pin and a set of weapon psychs. And thank goodness they were allowed to customize their uniforms. Sliding on her headphones, Ruby closed her eyes, stretching out her mind to scan.

 _Holy shit…_

 _An attack on the Fang… that they lost? How do I join these guys!?_

 _Serves 'em right, after they stole all that Dust. We had to pay extra for Huntsmen protection._

 _wha- what?_

Ruby's eyes snapped open at the last voice, eyes jumping to Blake. Blake was looking at one of the screens with wide eyes, many of the people around them were watching it, probably more than any of the other screens. On it was the image of the warehouse Ruby had hit last night, Kolr's mocking message clear on it as Faunus were marched out of the building in handcuffs. Ruby lowered her headphones, eyes narrowing. They had plenty of time to get those people out of there. Adam Taurus had been there, so why were they still there to be arrested, unless...

Ruby's fist clenched tight, fingernails bite into her hand. Beneath her skin, in her soul, stygian wings hissed, wanting to be released. Those were Taurus's men, and he had _left them_.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, and Ruby realized that once again, she had pulled out both knives, the grip become tight and violent, ready to draw blood, "Are you alright."

"Fine," Ruby said, breathing in as she watched another Faunus get shoved onto the bus, "What about you, Blake?"

Ruby didn't particularly try to make any claim at being an amazing boss, she was fairly convinced she was anything but… but she wouldn't leave _a_ Reaper high and dry, let alone dozens.

"Y-yeah," Blake said, nodding.

 _What happened? Why'd this group attack the Fang? Does Adam know?_

Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly. What did Blake have to do with Taurus?

"Ok," Ruby said snapping her knives shut, "Let's get some food."

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake stared at Ruby, biting the inside of her cheek as the girl wolfed down food, her headphones blasting just loud enough for Blake to hear it. Something about the girl a few minutes ago seemed… off…

People assumed that Faunus began and ended at an animal trait, and they were… sort of right. Those traits could have extra benefits, stronger instincts and the like.

And for a moment, every instinct in her body had screamed at her that Ruby was dangerous. Her grip on the knives had grown so tight they groaned, her neck muscles bulging so tight Blake could see the tendons, and for a second, she thought she had seen the back of her outfit bulge as Ruby's eyes narrowed.

And then Yang asked Ruby if she was alright, and just like that, it all faded. Ruby returned to normal. But Blake couldn't help but stay on guard as Ruby turned toward her, "What about you, Blake?"

Blake swallowed, voice dry. Why was she asking _her_? "Y-yeah!"

Ruby's eyes narrowed for a second, suspicion sparking in the eyes. Then Ruby snapped the knives shut, shoving them in her pocket with a nod, "Ok. Let's get some food."

And then she had turned, marching to the nearest table grabbed enough food to kill a horse, and began to eat it like a maniac, sliding her headphones on at the same time.

"Y'll right, Blake?" Yang said around her own food, "eat somethin', you don't want to go to class on an empty stomach, do ya?"

"I'm not hungry," Blake said, eyes flickering to the screen still showing Cyril Ian standing in front of a familiar warehouse, one word of the spray painted message censored. Yang followed her eyes, swallowing her bite.

"Wonder what it says?"

"What?" Blake said.

"What'd they write, that they're censoring it?"

"Don't eff with the Reapers," a voice said from behind them. Both of them turned to Team NAVL, Pyrrha giving a short wave and a smile, "good morning!"

"Morning," Blake said. What was _good_ about it?

"Don't f wit-" Yang started narrowing her eyes, "'Don't fuck with the Reapers?'"

"Yang!" Weiss snapped and Pyrrha yelped.

"What?" Yang said, "We're all adults."

"Ruby-" Blake started, even if she didn't particularly care about Yang cursing. She'd heard worse in the Fang, and her books.

"Is probably listening to something with a bit of swearing," Yang said, rolling her eyes, "Hey, Rubes! What'cha listening to?"

Ruby took off her headphones, tossing them to Yang who put it up to her ear. Blake didn't move her head as Pyrrha leaned in, but let her ears twitch towards the headphones, _then there came a noise, distant at first, that grew into a castrophany so immense that it could be heard far away in_ _ **space**_ _. There were no screams, there was no time. The mountain called Monkey had spoken, there was only fire, then… Nothing._

Well, that was cheerful. Also, didn't sound like a conventional song, so much as a story told to a beat.

"Is that the weird band you like?" Yang asked, tossing the headphones back at Ruby, who caught them, flicking out a red and black Scroll and hitting the rewind button.

"Yeah," Ruby said, smiling at Pyrrha, "Hi."

"Hello!" Pyrrha said with a wave, sitting down across from Ruby as the rest of her team sat around her, "How was… uh… whatever you had to deal with last night?"

"Yeah, what was that about?" Yang asked, "and where'd you go?"

"Hec called," Ruby said, "Hei's MIA and they needed me to deal with something at the Club."

"They asked you to deal with it?" Yang asked, staring at Ruby.

"Yeah," Ruby said with a nod, "I'm… uh… I deal with some of the day to day stuff, if Hei drops off the face of Remnant. Which, ya know, he did. MIA and all that."

"Hmm," What should have been a normal hum was instead an almost guttural noise, Yang narrowing her eyes at her sister, "any idea when he'll get back?"

"Nope," Ruby shrugged, "he'll come back, always does."

"And they listen to you?"

"It's listen to me, or tick off the others and get fired when Hei gets back'" Ruby said, "They know the deal. I'm going back to listening to my music, now."

Ruby didn't give Yang a chance to respond, sliding her headphones back over her ears a d hitting play. Weiss finally spoke up, "Where'd she get a custom Scroll? Those aren't cheap."

-X **Yang** X-

Yang tried to hide her doubt as Weiss asked the question, standing up and jumping over the table, grabbing Ruby by the arm and dragging her sister up away from the table. Sending a look at Blake, who was already halfway out of her seat, and Weiss, who was staring in confusion, Yang leveled a red eyed glare at them, "Don't follow us."

"But-" Weiss start.

"Don't!" Yang repeated, "we need to have a sister talk."

Yang glanced at Ruby, silently daring her to use her Semblance to escape. Ruby didn't, just letting Yang drag her out of the cafeteria. Finding the nearest empty classroom, Yang threw the door open and stormed in before letting go of Ruby and pulling the younger girl's headphones off. Ruby stared at her for a long moment, before finally asking, "What?"

"What?" Yang mimicked, pacing from side to side in front of the door, " _What_!? What do you _think_ it is, Ruby!?"

Ruby went silent, staring at Yang with legitimate confusion in her eyes. Slowly, it dawned on Yang that Ruby really _didn't know_ what had pushed her sister to dragging them away from the table. If Yang wasn't jumpy, she'd probably have driven her face into her hands. Breathing in, Yang looked Ruby in the eyes, "What's up with you and Junior… Hei… _whatever_?"

"What'd ya mean?" Ruby asked.

"I mean," Yang said, stomach rolling, "are you two… are you two in a relationship?"

"In a…" Ruby started, before gagging, "Ewwww! What- why- _No_. Nononono! N! O! No! What the…? Where'd you get that idea from? He's like, way older than me, and a _guy_."

Well, that at least explained _one_ thing, "He lets you use a pretty big place above his club. You apparently hang out there a lot, and when he randomly disappears you just get called in to take care of stuff."

"I-"

" _And you ditched our initiation to deal with it_ ," Yang stressed, "I'm willing to bet he bought you that Scroll, too."

"Uh…" Ruby fiddled with the Scroll in question, stepping from side to side, "Yeah."

"So what, if you're not dating him… are you part of his gang? Because Why would members of his gang-"

"Hector isn't part of the Club," Ruby said.

"Then why'd he call you down to the club for something?" Yang asked, eyes narrowed, "You said they called you because Junior was missing."

Ruby blanched, not meeting Yang's eyes, "It's… hard to explain."

"We have all the time in the world," Yang drawled as the bell for first period rang, leaning in the doorway.

"No, w-" Ruby started, only to stop as Yang glowered at her.

"All the time," Yang repeated.

Ruby took a step backwards, before her eyes jumped to the walls, looking like a caged animal, "We're gonna be late for cla-"

"Yeah," Yang said, "but you get to decide how late. And don't bother with the Semblance, sis. I'll just hunt you-"

Yang winced as Ruby suddenly vanished from the room, no smoke, no petals, nothing. Yang threw open the door, looking down the halls, "Ruby? Ruby!?"

-X **Ruby** X-

Ruby rushed under Yang's arm the minute she threw the door open, rushing through the crowd as she did. Focusing on an open window, she threw herself through it, shifting to Draconian Cantus as she fell. Launching away, she screamed through the morning sky. She couldn't go home, Dad would wonder why she wasn't at Beacon. She couldn't go to the Club, Yang would check there as quickly as possible, so…

Ruby slammed into a familiar deck of a highrise apartment, shrinking and hammering her fist against the glass. After a minute, Irving stepped into the living room wearing a pink bathrobe, pulling the door open, "Uh… Hello?'"

"Who is it!?" Rufina called.

"Ruby!" Irving called, stepping aside and letting Ruby in as Rufina came rushing out of the bedroom in an equally pink robe.

"Ruby! How can we hel- what's wrong, Darling?"

"Can I stay here for now?" Ruby asked, voice hoarse as tears began to brim. What had she just done? _What had she just done_!?

"I'll go reschedule," Irving said, pulling out his own Scroll and walking away as Rufina quietly hooked an arm around Ruby's shoulders, guiding her to the couch as Ruby's scroll went off. Ruby put it down, burying her face in her hands.

What the heck was she supposed to do now?

-X AN X-

Well, I didn't see this fuckin' going this way this quickly, let me tell you. We'll see if I'm still happy with it after my episode is done. Either way, I'm not apologizing for the whiplash.


	6. Chapter 6

"What happened?" Irving asked as Rufina stepped out of their bedroom. Their boss was curled up in the king-sized bed, sleeping like a baby. Looking the least intimidating since she had taken on, and thoroughly thrashed, all challengers upon becoming Conductor.

"Her sister and her had a falling out," Rufina said, glancing back at Ruby with a look of worry, "she started asking questions about… us… and Ruby ran away. What about our appointments?"

"They're less than happy that we rescheduled so late," Irving reported, "not that I particularly care. If Ruby needs us, she comes first."

"Yes," Rufina nodded, "especially since we're going to need to figure out how to deal with this. She can't just abandon her family, it would-"

"-destroy her," Irving agreed with a nod, pulling his long hair back into a ponytail. They both knew that feeling, it was what had driven them to taking the Reaper's wings, so long ago. Irving hadn't been judged worthy to return to life, otherwise.

Every Reaper had their story, had their reason they bound their soul to the UG and chose to Erase Players. A reason for becoming the antagonist in someone else's story.

But at the end of the day, it could all be crunched down to them being greedy. They wanted _something_ , a loved one returned, the feeling of the UG, _something_. In some ways, the Cantus form they took was what they truly were, monsters that hide behind the mask of humanity.

Rufina sighed, bowing her head. Before locking up, "Dear…"

"What?" Irving asked, turning towards her.

"If you were Yang, and your sister disappeared, where would you go looking for her?"

"I would…" Irving's eyes grew wide, face palling as it dawned on him, "the Club."

Rufina grabbed her Scroll as Irving threw off his robe, beginning to pull on a suit while keeping an ear out.

"Hey!" Kolr said, "What's up? I-"

"Get out of there," Rufina ordered.

"What?" Kolr asked.

"Get the hell out of there," Rufina repeated, " _Now_. Yang and Ruby had a fallout, and Yang's probably gonna hit the club any seco-"

"Hey, wait, you can't-" a loud bang echoed through the Scroll.

"That's probably her," Rufina said, "Run."

"Will do," Kolr said.

"Irving," Rufina said, turning to him, "I'll call Orla and the Malachites, but-"

"I'll head out," Irving said, throwing open the balcony and shifting to the UG, he dove off, activating his Semblance as he plummeted. A huge ape of shadows forming below him, and caught absorbed the force of the fall as they crashed into the next building, heading towards the Club.

This probably wasn't going to end well. But since when did _anything_ end well for the Reapers?

\- X **Yang** X-

Yang gunned Bumblebee, eyes burning with a combination of tears and anger. She just… what the hell was going on!?

Pulling onto the street of Junior's Club, Yang stopped her motorcycle, yanking her helmet off and storming towards the door. A man wearing the suit and hat of the Junior's mooks stepped in her way, holding out an arm, "Hey, wait! You can't-!"

Yang grabbed the arm, pulling him forward and wrapping her other hand around the scruff of his red shirt. Spinning, Yang threw the man through the doorway, busting it down and stepping over the groaning guard. A skeleton crew of gang members were staring at her, and Yang snarled through gritted teeth, "Alright, you've got ten seconds. Where. Is. My. SISTER!?"

Nobody said anything, and Yang stepped forward, "One. Two. Three. Four! Five! Six!" She deployed Ember Celica, marching towards another gang member, "Seven! EIGHT! NINE! TE-!"

Seconds before her fist could hit the member in the face, a pair of red claws deflected the strike. The twin stared at her, while Yang made a hasty duck under a kick from the other, "Get out of here."

"No," Yang snarled, wrapping her hand around the arm and using it to grapple Claws, driving her knee into her kidney, "not until I get my sister back."

"She's not here!" Boots said, kicking at Yang's head. Yang let go of claws, swaying away from the kick before ducking under the leg and tackling the girl in light green down, realing back her fist and-

Looking up as someone came down the stairs, red eyes meeting Kolr's. The boy blanched as Yang threw herself off the girl, charging at him with a roar, "Oh, fuck m-!"

"Where! Is! My! Sister!" Yang repeated her demand, preparing to smash into Kolr with all the force of a freight train. Instead, she was left staring as the red twin rushed between them bracing her feet and letting Yang gore herself on the claws. Two different colors of Aura sputtered around the injuries as Yang's eyes trailed up to the other girl. A burning, maniac grin spread across Yang's face as she took a step forward, pushing the blades further in and latching her hands around the kneeling girl's head. Smashing a knee into her jaw, the blades were pulled out of Yang in a splattering of blood. Yang didn't waste any time, driving her other knee into the girl's head. Throwing her to the ground, Yang lifted up her foot and-

Dodged the kick of the other twin's kick, dodging around it. The bark of several guns went off, and Yang felt several stings across her body, before the bullets dropped. Yang gritted her teeth and pulled back her hand, aiming at the twin who was standing over her sister, letting the other stand up.

Oh, no they didn-

Yang fired two charges at her, only for a hulking creature of shadow to throw itself in between the attack and her. Yang's eyes jumped to the man in a suit that stepped into the club. The man gave a short wave, like he hadn't just interrupted a brawl.

"Do you mind not destroying this place for no reason?' Irving Bayard asked, "Ruby isn't here, I can promise you that."

"And how do you know that?" Yang asked, huffing as her Aura accelerated her healing around the stinging gouges of the dagger.

"Because she's at my place," Irving said, "I'll bring you to her, if you want. But we're gonna do this like rational people, not rampaging brutes."

"Which makes me wonder," Yang's eyes widened as Junior stepped out of his office, eyes scanning the tense air while he pressed his club into the ground, "What the actual fuck happened while I was gone."

-X **Hei** X-

"They had me sit around," Hei repeated, voice trying to hide the anger as Lumière leaned against his throne, laughing like a loon, "for a day and a half… to tell me it's _fucking need to know!"_

Lumière's laughter grew worse, the shark Faunus practically doubling up. Lumière planted a hand on the side of Hei's throne, an almost malevolent cackle sliding from his lips, finally, he choked out, "Didja really think they were gonna give you information that easily, cub? They'll argue about it for a couple of months, decide to declassify it, and then they'll call you back up here to tell you!"

"I know," Hei said with an irritated sigh. The other angels were annoying like that, "I should probably get back to Vale before it burns down or something."

"That much confidence in your Composer?" Lumière said.

"No," Hei said bluntly, "that much confidence in my Conductor. My Composer would burn down the city and laugh."

"But wouldn't they all?" A voice said, and both angels turned, Lumière's eyes growing wide.

"Holy shit," Lumière said, "I thought you were Erased for sure!"

"No," Sanae Hanekoma said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Just in the doghouse."

"Nobody's seen you in months!" Lumière continued.

"Yeah, well, you know how it is," Hanekoma said, "They'd Erase you, then a few years down the road they'd decide that maybe you had good intentions behind your actions and put you back together. So I decided to go to ground long enough for them to make that decision, which they did. What's happened on your end?"

"Not much," Hei said.

"Good to hear," Hanekoma said, "Now, I've got a backlogged of paperwork and reports to deal with, plus a bi- a _problem_ that rose up recently back in Tokyo."

Hei took a step back at the uncharacteristic snarl that came from the older Angel, so much so that it took a moment for him to realize that, one, Hanekoma had said the word 'problem' in the snarl and two, he had said _Tokyo_ , not _Shibuya_ , "is everything-?"

"Don't worry about it," Hanekoma said, waving his hand as he continued past them, "the others will give you the details later."

"Sure they will," Hei snarked.

"Oh, you'll hear about this one," Hanekoma said, "I wouldn't be surprised if Reapers heard about it."

Hei shared a worried look with Lumière, who nodded, patting him on the shoulder, "I'll stay and find out what happened. You get back to Vale."

Hei nodded, shifting his frequency down in a flash of noise and roaring color. Finally, he jolted to a halt, only to pause as a voice roared out, "Where! Is! My! Sister!?"

What the fuck had Ruby done while he was gone? Creaking open the door, Hei watched Yang gore herself on Miltia's claws with a wince, the girl in a red dress was pushing backwards, her Semblance sharpening the blades so much it punched right through the other girl's aura. Yang gave a bloody grin, grabbing Miltia by the head and smashing her legs into the girl's head, before throwing her to the ground and raising it in a curbstomp. Hei grabbed his club, preparing to step outside and join in when Melanie kicked at Yang, several guns going off at the same time.

Yang stepped forward, firing two explosive rounds that hit the shadowy form of Iriving's Semblance, the fashion designer stepping forward, "Do you mind not destroying this place for no reason? Ruby isn't here, I can promise you that."

"And how do you know that?" Yang huffed, staggering forward with blood running down her sides. Hei couldn't help but be reminded of another girl, blood running down her sides.

Ruby and Yang really were sisters.

"Because she's at my place," Irving said, stepping forward, "I'll bring you to her, if you want. But we're gonna do this like rational people, not rampaging brutes."

"Which makes me wonder," Hei drawled, stepping out and resting his club on the ground, "What the _actual fuck_ happened while I was gone."

Everyone locked up, turning towards Hei.

"I'm _waiting_ ," Hei growled.

-X **Ruby** X-

Ruby woke with a start, peering up at Rufina, "Wuh?"

"Hei called," Rufina said, holding up her Scroll, "He wants to talk to you."

"Why?" Ruby said, pushing herself up.

"I don't know," Rufina said, huffing, "He just keeps saying 'put Ruby on'. Any time I ask any question 'put Ruby on'. He's being so rude!"

Ruby took the Scroll, lifting it to her ear, "Hello?"

"I leave for a day, and things go to shit?" Hei asked, voice dry, "Like, seriously, Phones. _one day?"_

"Hei," Ruby said, voice shaking, "I- Yang-!"

"I know," Hei said, "She was ripping through my club again. Question."

"Yeah?" Ruby said, voice meak.

"Why in the name of all that's holy didn't you just use the Harmonizer?" Hei asked.

Ruby locked up for a moment, touching the white pin, "I… uh… I wasn't sure I could use it-'

"Yep," Hei snarked, "I gave it to you for shits and giggles. You forgot you had it, didn't you?"

"...Yeah," Ruby admitted, "I was stressed out, and trying to figure out what to do and-"

"Yeah, I get it, Phones," Hei said, "We'll be there in five. Get ready to Harmonize, and no, that isn't debatable. Got it?"

"Yes," Ruby said, standing up and walking into the living room of the apartment and breathing in.

"Good," Hei said, hanging up.

"What was that about?" Rufina asked, taking the Scroll back.

"You're… uh… you're gonna have guests in a few minutes. Sorry.

"It's fine," Rufina said, smiling at Ruby softly, "I'll go make myself busy."

Rufina vanished into another room, leaving Ruby to sit on the couch, passing the Harmonizer from one hand to the other. Finally, the door to the apartment opened, Irving stepping out of the way so Ruby could see Yang.

Blood stained Yang's midriff and she was clutching it gingerly, but the minute she saw Ruby, she abandoned that, rushing forward and bundling Ruby into a crushing hug, tears in her eyes, "Never do that again."

"I-"

"Do you know how worried I was!?" Yang demanded, holding Ruby tighter, "I couldn't find you at Beacon and… and…!"

"I'm sorry," Ruby said, returning the hug, "I was just… I couldn't… I'm sorry."

Ruby noticed Hei give a pointed nod to the Harmonizer. Ruby breathed in, and pushed into Yang's hand. Before Yang could ask anything, the white pin turned black, a silver Player Skull burning with golden fire appearing on it and her eyes glazed over.

-X Yang X-

 _Yang squirmed as she stepped into the room, behind her, Junior shut the door, the sunlight being cut out as he locked the door. He walked over, resting a hand across her shoulder and nodding, offering a small smile, "You've got this."_

 _Yang watched him walk over to the bar, moving behind it and resting his hands on it. Several symbols flickered in several spots and then winked out. In a flash, everyone in the room, except for Junior, sprouted wings that looked like they were made of shadow-y metal instead of bones, completely lacking feathers or skin. Yang felt her own wings stretch._

Wait.

Her own wings?

 _"So…" Yang started, Ruby's voice coming from her mouth, "Uh… hi…"_

 _"Who are you?" A young woman sitting at one of the tables, a guitar case at her feet, asked. Yang swallowed, mouth dry._

 _"I'm Ruby Rose," she said, "and I'm your new Conductor."_

 _Laughter rose up across the room, only to stop as people realized she was serious. Indigent cries rose up, people stepping forward before Junior slammed his hand on the bar, silence falling. Yang nodded, meeting their eyes, "Yeah. Yeah, I knew that was gonna happen. So, I… uh… I came up with something."_

 _A pair knives came out, plain combat knives. Everyone shifted as Yang stepped onto the dancefloor, shrugging off the red hoodie to reveal a black sleeveless shirt under it. A strange feeling came over her as her hoodie passed over her wings, ""We're gonna fight, one at a time, if you think you can be Conductor better than me, you take one of these knives, and we fight. First person to surrender loses."_

 _Silence stretched again, before one man stepped forward, green hair slicked back, "Alright, I'll take you on."_

 _Yang flipped one knife, offering it to him. He took it… and immediately slashed for Yang. The attack missed as Yang swayed around the attack, driving her own knife into his leg. The man hissed as bloodied steel came out of his leg, swinging for Yang. Yang just swayed around the attack again, stabbing into the back of the man's shoulder, kicking him over and putting her knife to his throat, "Surrender?"_

 _"Like," the man growled, body starting to shift, talons bursting from his fingers._

What the actual fuck?

" _Hec-!" Before Junior could finish, the man twisted, gouging into Yang's side. Blood flew from the tips in long ribbons, but Yang didn't finish, driving her foot into his face and driving him into the ground, the glass cracking while blood splattered across it. Red and Black chains wrapped around him as Yang grabbed the second knife, crossing them both over his neck, "Surrender."_

 _"I-!"_

 _"Even if you don't," Junior said, "You lost, Hector. It was knives only, you changing disqualified you."_

 _"Fuck!" Hector spat out, but fell back, "Fuck."_

\- X **Yang** X-

Yang wanted to stagger back, eyes wide, put Ruby continued to push the pin into her hand. The symbol changed, a skeletal dragon with bones of gold resting on a field of red flowers.

\- X **Yang** / _Ruby_ X-

 _"Mountain Glenn," Yang said, wings holding her in the air for a second, before she softly alighted on the ground. Behind her, Hector and Griselda did the same, "I didn't think people lived here anymore."_

 _"They don't," Hector confirmed, "but it's still part of Vale's UG, and there are a lot of negative emotions still tied to this place."_

 _"So we gotta deal with the Noise here," Yang said, cracking her neck_.

Noise? What were-?

 _Suddenly, two lumbering bears stepped around the corner, not Ursa but…_ Grizzlies? With tattoos for arms?

What the fu-?

 _Yang lazily lifted a hand, twelve glowing red orbs appearing around her, before stretching and morphing, turning into identical swords. Snapping her middle finger and thumb, the blades flew forward, ripping through the bears and impaling into the ground. The bears twitched, before exploding into light._

 _"That wasn't smart," Griselda said, "They'll know we're here now."_

 _"So?" Yang asked, "We're here to thin the herd anyways."_

 _"Yes, but-" Before Griselda could finish, dozens of animals, frogs, wolves, cats, bats, bears, popped into existence, each with part of their body replaced with tribal markings, "See?"_

 _Yang just summoned more swords, a deep grin rising on her face as she grabbed the nearest one. The others circled around her as she lifted into the air slightly, staring at the absolutely massive scorpion that appeared._

 _"Ru-!" Griselda was cut off again as Yang fired all the swords, each one running through a smaller Noise before turning, slashing into the carapace of the scorpion. It hissed and writhed, scampering back as Yang charged forward with a laugh, dodging the tail and landing on the head. The sword in her hand got more jagged, harder to control… stronger._

With a grin and a cackle that remained Yang far to much of herself, Ruby plunged the sword into the Noise.

-X **Yang** X-

"I-" Yang started,yes jumping up to meet her sisters as information flooded into her head. Noise, manifestations of negative emotions.

Reapers, hunters of the Noise and guard dogs of the afterlife.

Conductor, leader of the Reapers.

The pin shifted, showing a black knight with a golden dragon curled around them, defending them on it.

-X **Yang** / _Ruby_ X-

 _Yang watched the group of six people step into the park, cracking a small smile as she jumped off the stage, "Hey! Congratulations, you guys!"_

 _"Wh-?" One of the six looked around, before turning to Yang, "are you talking to us?"_

 _"Do ya see anyone else around here?" Yang asked spreading her arms wide and gesturing. Her hood made it so they couldn't see her face, she needed to overact, "Day Seven! The big one! The one where you come back… if you can finish your last challenge."_

 _Six Scrolls went off, six hands flinched as numbers etched into them. Yang caught a sword as more flashed across the wings that suddenly appeared. A bloodthirsty grin spread across her face, "Your last task is to survive ten minutes against me… or face Erasure."_

 _Yang launched forward, swinging for the lead Player as he dove out of the way. Looking up, Yang watched dozens of shots fly from the fingers of a second Player before moving her sword in a blur, deflecting each shot into the ground or back at the players. Behind her, the noise of something being ripped from the ground echoed, and Yang carelessly swung the sword behind her, cleaving the bench in two and letting it crash into the ground on either side of her._

 _Yang took a slow step forward, dragging the sword across the cement of the memorial, "Gonna take better than that…"_

 _"How about_ _ **this**_ _?" one snarled an explosion of fire launching at Yang and wrapping around her. Yang let it wash over her for a second before stepping out, sword bared._

 _"Yeah," Yang said with a chuckle, "No."_

\- X **Yang** X-

Yang's grip on pin finally broke, but her grip on her sister grew tighter. Dully, she could hear Junior shepherding everyone else out of the room and shutting the door, tears streaming down her face as she hugged Ruby, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I wasn't sure if I could," Ruby said, hugging her back, "in hindsight, we've always been really lax on rules, so I guess it would have been fine, but…"

"Who would believe you," Yang said, "...Why'd you attack the White Fang last night?"

"They're killing people," Ruby said, "and those people are too scared to play the Game… so we're trying to scare them straight, before things get too bad."

"Bring me with you, next time," Yang demanded.

"I-"

"I'm not gonna sit by and let you put yourself in danger without me," Yang said, "I'll go through the 'Game' if I have to, but I'm not gonna… gonna…

"Ok," Ruby said, hugging Yang, "Love you, sis."

"Love you too," Yang said, "now, uh… we should probably get to school, we missed first and second period."

-X **AN** X-

Shorter chapter, mostly because I'm kicking around an idea for a RWBY/W:AoS (since I don't have _quite_ as much vitriol for it as most Warhammer fans... plenty, just not as much) and that's been eating my attention.

I'm legitimately surprised nobody mentioned the Harmonizer as a solution. I specifically called Ruby out as having it last chapter, since it'd been a year since the chapter where Hei gave it to her.


End file.
